Ice Age: Let go
by DayDreamerxo15
Summary: Takes place right after Ice age the meltdown. Diego and the gang soon meet Dakota, a female sabertooth tiger, who agrees to tag along with them. Can Diego admit his feeling about her or will it be too late? Diego/OC
1. Chapter 1

Authors note- sorry the beginning chapters are so short. This story leads into the movie Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs. When you finish reading my last updated chapter, I assure you will leave my page with a smile on your face… hopefully xD

*FLASHBACK*

A young saber tooth tiger named Dakota was exploring far from her pack. She was too inexperienced to be wondering off so far away. Her father was very strict with her. He never let her out of his sight without an escort. All Dakota wanted was her independence. To be free to go wherever she wants. She was soon to discover she got her wish. When she returned to her pack after walking a long distance, all her friends and family were wiped out by an avalanche of snow. It was impossible for anyone to survive. They all suffocated instantly. Dakota was devastated. She dug for hours trying to find someone. And when she found her father… he was dead. But she forced herself to move on. That's what her father would of wanted. She had to learn to let go.

*FLASHBACK END*

Dakota frowned at her dreadful past. After leaving Cody, she never felt so alone. She was walking along a cliff side, wondering what to do with herself.

"Help!" someone cried. She looked down to see two opossums hanging onto a branch for dear life. Without hesitation, she leaped onto a nearby ledge. She grabbed onto both their tails with her mouth, trying to be as gentle as possible, yet they both let out a little cry of pain.

The ledge began to crumble from under her and she quickly leaped onto the top of the cliff. She blinked, shocked that she made it. It was a big jump for even a tiger to make.

And after all that suspense, she felt herself being pinned to the ground. When she opened her eyes a male saber was staring at her. He was about her age and rather strong because she could barley move.

"As much as I hate to say this, the opossums are _off _the menu" He said. I guess it did look like she was trying to eat them, on account she had them _in her mouth_.

"Diego! Get off of her! She saved us!" one of the opossums yelled

"She did?" He asked in a surprised tone. The twins nodded.

"Yeah, _Diego_. So do me a favor and get off" She smirked

Diego obeyed, a little embarrassed. He coughed to clear his throat "Oh… Sorry"

Dakota sat up straight and turned to the opossums "Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah were fine. I'm Crash!" he said

"And I'm Eddie!" said the other. Dakota chuckled at how much energy they had. She, on the other hand, was completely exhausted.

"I'm Dakota"

Seconds later, a female mammoth came charging between them. She picked up the two opossum with her trunk. "Stay back!" she yelled, protectively

"No, Ellie! She won't hurt us!" Eddie said "She saved us from that cliff! We were seconds away from falling!"

Another mammoth appeared as well as a sloth. Are they all traveling together? What a strange herd. Dakota even suggested to herself that she was dreaming. However, she was for sure awake.

"You saved them?" Ellie asked

Dakota hesitated to answer "Yes"

"You… didn't try to eat them?"

Dakota slightly chuckled "I don't eat opossum… "

Ellie smiled "Well, thank you for saving my brothers" Dakota raised an eye brow. "Brothers??" "It's… a long story" Ellie said, planning to tell her the full detailed story later.

"So where's your pack?" the male mammoth asked, who's name was Manfred. But everyone called him Manny for short.

"I don't have a pack… not anymore… they all died a long time ago" said Dakota with great sorrow. She could of easily been lying. She could of easily been setting up an ambush, just like Diego did a while back. But she was telling the truth.

"Hey I have an idea! You can come with us!" yelled Crash "Please Manny?"

Manny knew she would cause no trouble. She looked more lonely than threatening. He knew what it was like to be alone. Been there, done that. "Sure. That is, if she _wants to come"_

"_I guess I could tag alone for a little bit" Dakota said_

"_This is going to be great!" Eddie grinned_

"_And It'll be nice to have another female around" Ellie added_

_The sloth, named Sid, went up to Dakota and started shaking her paw "Welcome to our herd!"_

_Everyone started walking and Sid would not leave Dakota alone. Surprisingly, he was not afraid of her and let's not forget she is, after all, a carnivore._

"_So there are a few rules. Number one: you can not eat me." Sid said_

_She giggled and said sarcastically "I'll try to resist"_

"_Number two: I'm the leader of this herd, so you have to listen to me"_

"_That's not true" Manny said "There is no leader"_

"_Well, there should be a leader!" said Sid "Anyway, number three: I know you eat meat so you can only hunt away from our herd. With all due respect, we don't want to see you devour some poor defenseless animal"_

_Dakota smirked, not feeling any sham of being a carnivore_

"_You can hunt with Diego if you'd like" Sid suggested_

_She glanced at Diego who was being awfully quiet. What was wrong with Diego? Did he not trust her?_

"_You're being quiet" Manny mumbled to Diego _

"_Huh? Oh sorry" Diego mumbled, keeping his head down_

"_A little shy?" Manny asked "Maybe you should introduce yourself? She seems like a nice tiger"_

"_I'd rather not" Diego said shyly _

_Manny shrugged "Fine. Suit yourself" _

_Diego sighed. Violently pinning her to the ground isn't exactly a friendly welcome. He was simply just being shy…_


	2. Chapter 2

"So where exactly are we going, Manny?" Dakota asked, walking along him. Every few seconds, she would glance at Diego. He just kept his head down. Dakota was very curious about him. It bothered her that he was so quiet.

"We really have no certain destination" Manny said

They came upon a frozen lake. Everyone stopped short.

"Well?" Diego asked "Who wants to go first?"

"I don't know guys, It looks kind of thin… we might break right threw" Ellie said

"Uh, Diego, I think your girlfriend is already halfway there" Sid said

Dakota was already on the ice, as brave as she is "Come on guys! Its safe"

Crash and Eddie looked at each other and ran onto the Ice, slipping and sliding. They slid past Dakota and she giggled. Manny and Ellie walked onto the ice with Sid right behind them. Diego hesitated to go on but then forced himself, still recovering over his fear of water. He walked onto the ice and lost his balance, sliding right into Dakota. Diego blushed.

"Uh, sorry" he mumbled "Are you alright?"

She smiled "I'm okay"

Diego looked down again which made Dakota frown "You don't trust me very much, do you?"

"It's not that" Diego began "I-"

"Hey, Dakota watch this!" Crash yelled

Dakota flashed him a warm smile and ran over to the twins. Diego surprisingly did trust her. Just like Manny, he knew she was harmless. Just a lonesome saber is all. To be honest, he just wasn't very good with small talk to females, especially a pretty one like Dakota.

* * *

"Whoa, look at this tree!" Eddie yelled

"Bet cha I can beat you to the top" Crash said, challenging his brother

Dakota looked up at the tree. It was perfect for her to climb. She jumped onto the first branch and continued up the tree.

"Wow, look at Dakota!" Crash yelled "Hey, are you part opossum?"

Dakota laughed "No, I don't think so"

Meanwhile, Diego just watched her, extremely impressed.

"So… when are you going to make your move?" Sid said, elbowing him

"What?" Diego asked, playing dumb

"Oh come on, Diego, she's perfect for you. I was right about Ellie and Manny, wasn't I?"

Diego pulled his ears back, not sure how to reply. Admitting his emotions was _not his thing. At that very moment, Dakota was about to reach the top branch when it snapped._

_Diego gasped and he ran over to the tree. Dakota landed right on top of him._

"_Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she asked, instantly getting off of him. _

_He rubbed his head "Am I okay? You're the one who just fell out of a tree" _

_She shrugged and smiled "Hey, I have 8 lives left"_

_Crash and Eddie came running down the tree. Manny, Sid, and Ellie rushed over to them._

"_Are you okay?" Ellie asked_

"_I'm fine, I'm fine" Dakota assured everyone, a little embarrassed. It takes more than that to hurt Dakota._

_* * *_

_The sun was starting to set and everyone seemed to be getting tired._

_Sid groaned and everyone stopped to look at him "Manny, I'm tired, can we take a break?"_

"_We only have a few hours left of daylight" Dakota reported, looking at the sky "Unless, you all want to travel at night?"_

"_I think we should find a resting place, Manny" Ellie said. Manny nodded in agreement._

_While walking, Sid would not stop singing annoying songs. Dakota sighed and Manny could tell she was getting annoyed_

"_Welcome to my world" Manny mumbled "Run away while you still have the chance" _

_The group walked a little more until they came upon an open meadow. Everyone settled down to go to sleep… except for Dakota. She just stared at the stars, thinking, wondering._

"_Diego," Ellie whispered "maybe you should go talk to Dakota. She's been staring at the stars all night"_

"_Okay" Diego said, a little nervous at first _

"_Hi" Diego said, talking a seat next to her_

_Dakota looked at him and simply said "hello" back_

"_So, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your pack?" he asked, curiously _

_Dakota looked at him with no reply_

"_You don't have to tell me if it you don't want to" he suggested, regretting even asking her in the first place._

"_I've been alone for a long time… I was so young when the avalanche happened…" she swallowed "Everyone was gone…"_

_Diego's eyes widened. He felt bad for her. It must be tough to lose your family like that. Diego placed his paw on hers. "Well, your not alone anymore."_

_She looked at him, surprised at first, then smiled. Diego coughed and quickly pulled his paw back. She slightly chuckled at his attempt to be sensitive. But she had to give him points for trying. Diego smiled crookedly and went to lay down with the others. She followed his example and laid down right beside him which made Diego blush. Dakota fell asleep right away. For once in a long time she could actually fall asleep feeling safe. _


	3. Chapter 3

Diego woke up first that morning. Everyone was still asleep. He glanced at Dakota who was asleep as well. He smiled at the sight of her then got up to go to a river nearby. Diego like having the company of another saber.

A few hours later…

"Dakota, wake up" Crash said

"Rise and shine" Eddie sang

She opened her eyes to find two opossums staring at her.

She yawned "How long have I've been asleep?"

"You were sleeping threw the whole day! Diego told us not to bother you but we ignored him" said Crash

Dakota looked around and everyone was gone "Where is everyone?" she asked, still half asleep

"At the river, come on, its nearby" Eddie said running off with Crash right behind him

Dakota got up and made a big stretch. She forced herself awake "Wait up, guys"

When Dakota arrived at the river she smiled at the smell of fresh fish. She was starving and she instantly ran over to the water. She glanced at Manny and Ellie who were relaxing under a big tree. Dakota got her claws ready and right when she was about to catch a fish, Sid interrupted as he jumped into the river. All the fish swam away and Dakota sighed of disappointment

"Sid, I was fishing" she said, her eyes tightening

"Oh sorry, this heat is killing me, I need to cool off" he said

Diego decided to fish as well. Actually, it was more of an attempt to impress Dakota. He started to make his way over to the river but sighed when he saw Sid.

"Sid, can't you go bother someone else?" Diego said as he took a set next to Dakota "Some of us actually have to work to get our food"

Sid ignored his last remark and splashed him "Well at least you conquered your fear"

Diego growled

"Can you believe this guy was afraid of water?" Sid pretended to whisper to Dakota, although it was loud enough for Diego to hear. His face got bright red and he started to chase him. Dakota giggled as Sid ran behind her for protection.

"Sid, you can't always depend on everyone for protection. Diego faced his fear and you should too" Dakota said. She got up and started walking upstream, looking for more fish. Was Sid afraid of Diego? At the moment, yes.

Sid gulped and smiled nervously

"Your off the hook… for now" Diego smirked. He ran over to catch up with Dakota

When Dakota noticed Diego on the opposite side of the stream, something else besides fish filled her mind "So, I never got a chance to ask you, what happened to your pack?" she asked "Not every day you see a saber traveling with two mammoths, two opossums, and a sloth"

Diego smiled "I always hated my pack- I was probably going to leave them sooner or later… the pack was planning an ambush on Manny. I was part of it which I regret. Manny saved my life and he considered me part of his herd… and so long story short I turned my back on my pack to help save Manny- and Sid too of course"

Dakota blinked "Wow, I've never heard anything like that in my life" there was a pause of silence until Dakota spoke again "Your different, Diego- I like different"

They smiled at each other but they both looked up when they heard a twig snap.


	4. Chapter 4

"Stay here" Diego whispered as he crouched low to the ground. He made his way closer and closer to the creature, staying hidden. He suddenly pounced on a unfamiliar saber. Dakota stood up straight, getting a good view, and realized that the saber was actually her old friend, Cody.

"Cody, is that you?" Dakota asked, smiling in excitement. Diego got off of Cody, frowning.

"Dakota? Wow your looking good" Cody said. Diego let out a low growl.

"Where are you heading to?" Dakota asked

"Oh I'm just passing through" he answered "Sorry to leave so soon, but I have to run"

"No need to apologize" Diego snapped. Cody jumped a little when he spoke, forgetting he was even there.

"Take care of yourself, Dakota." She nodded as he ran off

"Who was that?" Diego asked

"Just an old friend" Dakota said back

Diego's jealousy got to the better of him "He seemed like more then just an old friend. Besides, if you were so alone why didn't you just go live with him? He seemed like the perfect guy for you"

Dakota looked at him, shocked by his words "I can't believe you just said that, you don't even know him!"

Meanwhile, everyone was back at the meadow. They decided to spend the night again.

"Isn't it great that Diego and Dakota got along so well?" Ellie said

"Yeah, I'm glad she came along. I think he was getting a little lonely" Manny said

At that very moment, Dakota came storming over to them "Your such a jerk" she yelled. Dakota walked past the meadow, keeping her head down.

"Were are you going?" Ellie asked

"Anywhere but here" Dakota mumbled as she walked away

Diego walked into the meadow and laid down instantly, resting his head on his paws. He was mad but about a minute after Dakota was gone, he regretted fighting with her. He absolutely felt horrible.

"What happened?" Sid finally asked, breaking the silence

Diego sighed "Nothing"

"Well obviously something happened. Dakota looked really upset" Sid said

He ignored Sid and stood up "I'm taking a walk"

No one tired to stop him. They all figured he was going to make up with Dakota. They were right. Diego searched for her but he couldn't seem to find her. He started to get very worried. If anything happened to Dakota, he would never forgive himself.

Meanwhile, Dakota was sitting on a big rock staring at the stars again. She missed her family deeply. The bushes started to move and Dakota looked alert. She sneaked up to it, and pinned it to the ground. Turns out, It was only Diego.

"Oh, Its you" She mumbled as she got off of him.

"Dakota, I'm sorry" he said

She smirked "I know, you were just being jealous"

"I was not! I just don't trust that guy" he lied.

"Sure, Sure" she paused "You didn't even let me explain. Cody offered for me to join his pack and so I did for a while. He has a family, with two cubs… But the whole time I was with them, I felt like a part of me was missing-- I never felt happy… so I left. You know me, I wanted to explore. Find bigger and better things." Dakota tried to hid the fact that she left to find love of her own. Truth was, she was pretty sure she already found it.

"Your not going to leave us, are you?" Diego asked

She smiled and shook her head slowly "No"


	5. Chapter 5

The unique herd took off moving again. Something caught Dakota's attention "Look at the sky"

Everyone looked up. It was Smoke from a fire.

"Only one possible solution-- humans" Diego thought to himself

"Dakota. Diego. You better Run ahead-- see what awaits us" Manny said

They both nodded and ran off, following the smoke in the air. Diego and Dakota raced each other but stopped short when they came into view of a small village. Diego was right. Humans.

"I've never seen humans so up close before-- aren't they amazing creatures?" Dakota said. She ran down the rocky cliff but stopped when Diego called her name. She looked back at him "I want to get a closer look"

"I don't think that's such a good idea" Diego said

"Come on, don't be such a scardy cat" she said

Diego raised his eye brows then followed her. Even though he admired her bravery, humans could be dangerous. After all, they were outnumbered if the humans spotted them.

"You know, I saved a human once-- well, I helped save a human" Diego said, studying her interest in humans.

"Really?" Dakota asked

"I'm serious. Ask Manny and Sid if you don't believe me" he said

Dark clouds filled the sky which meant a storm was close by. The wind started to pick up and a few rain drops fell.

"Come on we better get back to the others" Diego said

* * *

"Humans. About a mile ahead. We have to change direction or else well run right into them" Dakota reported

"I think there is a cave close by, we can spend the night there" Diego said

They all made there way to the cave with seconds to spare before the storm started. Rain poured from the sky and thunder filled there ears. The storm was violent and no one could risk going outside.

"Hey look at all these paintings" Ellie pointed out

"Why aren't any opossums on these walls? I only see mammoths and sabers" Eddie moaned

"Join the club. I guess were not good enough" Sid said

"Humans painted them" Dakota stated "They symbolize there hunting activity" she changed the subject and looked at Manny "Did you really save a human, Manny?"

Before Manny even opened his mouth, Sid butted in "Yes! I wonder where he is now. He must of grown a lot" Sid said, rambling on and on but he stopped talking when a loud bang of thunder echoed throughout the cave

"Sid can you try to stay quiet for a minute?" Manny asked. He told them the whole story, from beginning to end. Ellie, Crash, Eddie, and Dakota were fascinated by the story.

Dakota laughed to herself when Manny was finished

"What's so funny?" asked Sid

"Nothing. I'm just surprised Diego didn't get his paws on the human right from the start" Dakota said

"Hey, in my defense, Manny would not let go of the thing for two seconds" Diego said

"I think that's so sweet" Ellie interrupted "you did a good job, Manny"

The storm seemed to stop and moments later the sun peaked through the clouds. Dakota was the first to run outside into the sunlight.


	6. Chapter 6

She wondered off to an open field. She smiled at the sight of an antelope all alone. Her stomach growled. She was so hungry, she would eat anything. She crouched low to the ground. Right about when she was going to run after it, someone interrupted her.

"Boo" Diego whispered, crouching down beside her

"Diego, your going to scare away my lunch" she warned

"Your lunch?" he asked, smiling

"Yes, I saw it first" she said

"I saw it second" Diego smirked

She smiled and tightened her eyes "fine. I'm up for a challenge. Whoever gets it first may eat it"

"Fair enough" Diego said, feeling confident that he would win

Dakota took of running with Diego right behind her. The antelope, took off running as well, frightened to death. Dakota could tell that Diego was slowing down a little. Was he letting her win? The antelope made a sharp turn and got away. Dakota was too interested in Diego now. She ran over to him, panting.

"Its not much of a challenge if your letting me win" she said

"Hey, that antelope is pretty fast" he said, hating to emit defeat

She pinned him down "your loosing your touch, tiger. Then again, females dominate males"

She smiled, her crystal blue eyes sparkling. She licked his cheek and quickly got off of him. Diego perked up a little, happily surprised. After all, it was their first kiss. Dakota started to make her way back to the cave and Diego skipped next to her, completely delighted.

* * *

Everyone smirked at the new couple when they both arrived to the cave opening. They both sat down next to each other. Dakota completely forgot about her stomach. She didn't even feel hungry anymore. Before anyone could even make a single remark about them together, a noise was made outside the cave. Diego and Dakota sniffed the air and an unusual sent filled there noses. Human sent.

"I'll go check it out" Diego said, standing up

"Me too" Dakota said

Dakota was already out of the cave before Diego could fight with her. He didn't feel comfortable putting her in any possible danger. Two grown men appeared upon the two sabers. They both held out their spears, ready to make an attack. Dakota's eyes widened, fascinated by the humans.

"Dakota, get back in the cave" Diego warned, his eyes locked on the humans

She ignored him and rolled her eyes. One of the humans swung his weapon at Dakota and she growled. She grabbed onto the spear with her mouth. Dakota was not strong enough though, at least not strong enough to handle a grown man. He pushed her into a bolder and she let out a little cry. Diego roared with anger and clawed both spears out of their hands. They looked at each other, terrified, and ran away as fast as possible.

"Dakota, are you alright" he asked, his face a mask of worry

"I'm okay, really I am" she said, standing up, trying to hide the pain. "I just hurt my paw"

Everyone came out of the cave, startled

"What happened?" Ellie and Crash asked at the same time

"Humans attacked us" Diego mumbled. He looked at Dakota and frowned "Is it broken?"

"I think so" Dakota admitted "I can't walk on it"

"Manny, we can't stay here" Ellie said "We have to find somewhere safe"

"Lets move out" Manny said

"You expect her to walk?" Diego asked to no one in particular

"No, I expect her to climb adored" Ellie said, kneeling down

Dakota slightly smiled and managed to get on top of Ellie. Diego stayed close to Ellie. He wanted to stay near Dakota.

"Are you sure your alright?" he asked

Dakota looked down at him "I think I'll survive" she paused "I changed my mind. I really don't like humans anymore."

Diego slightly chuckled "I told you they were dangerous"

"No you didn't" Dakota said

"Oh, well, I should of told you" Diego mumbled

She smiled warmly and rested her head on her paws. The sun was just about setting and the herd needed to find a resting place fast. They needed to find somewhere that they could stay for a while, just until Dakota's paw heals. But where?


	7. Chapter 7

Dakota started to get extremely bored. Every few minutes she would sigh. The herd traveled for hours and of course, Sid started to complain.

"Why does Dakota get a ride and I have to walk?" Sid groaned

"Because she's crippled, your not" Manny said

"I'll be more than happy to switch places with you" Dakota suggested

"No, Dakota. I know this isn't your style but your going to have to be patient and wait for your paw to heal" Ellie said

Dakota sighed again and frowned. This defiantly was not Dakota's style. She wanted to walk so badly she would do it even if it hurt her. The herd was walking up a snowy hill and they were all curious of what awaits them. When they reached the top, they all gasped at the amazing view. A beautiful, peaceful valley of snow and pine trees.

"Whoa, this place is amazing!" Eddie yelled

Dakota got overexcited and nudged Ellie forward "Onward!" she yelled. But Ellie lost her balance and she slid down the snowy mountain. When they reached the bottom, Dakota busted out laughing. At first, Ellie was a little annoyed but the more Dakota laughed the more she wanted to join in. by the time the rest of the herd reached them, they were in the middle of a laughing fit.

"Are you guys alright?" Manny asked

"Were okay" Ellie said

"You sure know how to make an entrance" Sid noted

Manny decided to stay here which was fine by everyone. It was such an excellent location that they never wanted to leave. Dakota slid off of Ellie and laid down. She didn't want to run off because Diego would just go after her. As much as she hated to admit it, Ellie was right. She needed to be patient and wait for her paw to heal. Everyone else followed Dakotas's example and laid down as well. They were all exhausted.

"Let me see your paw" Diego said, gently reaching for it

Dakota noticed everyone was watching and she pulled it away "its fine"

She smiled at him, showing her sharp teeth. Dakota liked when Diego gave her attention but not when everyone was watching. They both have shy romance personalities.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am completely exhausted. Goodnight" Ellie said

* * *

Since Dakota just relaxed all day, she noticed a huge change in Ellie's behavior. Some days Ellie would not stop eating, other days she would not eat a single thing. She was always tired and sometimes she would sleep threw the whole day. Whenever Dakota talked to her, Ellie would give her such an attitude.

Like the other day, Ellie asked her a random question "So you and Diego really like each other, huh?" she asked

"Yeah. He's a good friend" Dakota replied, smiling

Ellie frowned "Why are you sabers so proud of yourselves to show how you really feel? I can tell you like him more than a friend so you should just admit it" she snapped

Dakota knew something was happening to her, but what?

Diego would bring food to Dakota every day. She was so grateful to have him. Diego spent almost every second with her, trying to escape her from her boredom. They talked pretty much about everything. Although Dakota was crippled she could still limp around to fetch water and exedra. She would usually hang out by the pond nearby, soaking in the sun. She loved the sun. But she loved running in the sun even more. Oh how she wished her paw would heal faster.

* * *

Ellie clutched her stomach with her trunk

"What's wrong?" Manny said, paranoid

"Nothing" Ellie mumbled

"You've been acting very strange lately, Ellie" Crash noted

"Are you sick?" Eddie asked

Dakota butted in and smirked "She's not sick"

Everyone looked at her, confused, including Ellie.

"Oh come on guys, how obvious can it get? Her eating habits changed, the drowsiness, constant pains, not to mention the annoying mood swings" Dakota said. She smiled warmly, preparing herself for giving the news "Oh Ellie, your pregnant"


	8. Chapter 8

Manny nearly fainted when Dakota said that "Are you sure?" he choked out

"Sure I'm sure" Dakota said

"This is great, Manny. You're going to be a Father!" Sid yelled with excitement

"I'm no doctor but I'm guessing you have a while until the baby comes so if I were you, I'd hold off the panicking" Dakota said to Manny

He sighed "your right. No need to panic at the moment"

"Oh Manny, this is great. Were going to have a family of our own" Ellie said, happily. They locked trunks and Dakota smiled at how much love they shared.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Sid? He's been gone all day" Manny said

Dakota sprang up "I'll go look for him" Her paw still hurt but It was better than before. She could put some pressure on it but not much. Diego followed her of course.

"Were do you think he went?" Dakota asked

Diego looked around and spotted him. Sid was hiding behind a bush, spying on a female sloth.

"Sid, what are you doing?" Diego asked

"Shh, she'll hear you" Sid whispered

Dakota raised her eye brow "If you really want to impress her, you have to be sensitive. Girls love sensitive guys"

"They do?" Sid asked

"_You_ do?" Asked Diego

She smiled "Yes, we do. Go over to her and start crying"

"You want me to cry?" Sid asked

She nodded "It'll work, trust me"

Sid shrugged and slowly made his way to the pink, female sloth. He obeyed and instantly started crying. Obviously he was acting but it was good enough to fool the female.

"What's wrong?" the female asked, touching his shoulder.

Sid didn't answer, he just kept crying. Dakota smiled at Diego because she knew her plan was working.

"Aw you poor guy, It'll be alright" the female hugged Sid and he could barley stand up straight anymore. All of a sudden, a husky voice separated the two.

"What are you doing hugging my girlfriend?" A stronger sloth snapped. He was bigger than Sid. Actually, much much bigger. Sid gulped and backed away slowly.

"Sorry" he managed to choke out

Sid walked up to Dakota and Diego, a little annoyed.

"I never said she was single" Dakota shrugged, completely unaware

Sid crossed his arms and walked away

"Sid, come on" Diego called. He ignored him and continued walking. Dakota and Diego looked at each other. They were quiet for a few seconds then bursted out laughing.

* * *

"I'm sorry if I gave you an attitude the past couple of days" Ellie said

"I understand. Hormones are expected" Dakota smiled

"So… what about you and Diego?" Ellie asked

"What about us?" Dakota asked

"Are you going to have cubs?" said Ellie

Dakota pulled her ears back "Oh… I don't know…"

"I know you want cubs. I can see it in your eyes" Ellie said

Dakota didn't know how to reply so she just smiled. Was it that obvious?

A loud roar echoed and at that moment Crash and Eddie came running past them. Seconds later, Diego was charging after the two opossums. What did the twins do this time to tick Diego off? Ellie and Dakota didn't even bother to move because they both knew he would never hurt them.

That night, when Diego and Dakota laid down next to each other, Sid hoped right in-between them and made him self comfortable.

"_Sid_" Dakota groaned

"What? It's the least you can let me do after ruining my chances with the pink sloth"

"Hey, my plan worked. How was I supposed to know she had a stronger, better looking boyfriend" Dakota said

Ellie chuckled and Dakota smiled, resisting not to laugh

Sid soon fell asleep, snoring loud. He was still right in between Dakota and Diego and they were both still wide awake. Sid rolled over and twitched which made it uncomfortable for the two sabers. Was Sid purposely sleeping between them for revenge? Probably. The sabers were beginning to get very annoyed.

"I can't take this anymore" Diego whispered, covering his ears

"I know" Dakota whispered back

Diego perked up a little when he thought of an idea. He pointed to a flat piece of wood, big enough for a sloth to lay on. Dakota understood his prank and helped get Sid on the wooden board. Diego then pushed him all the way to the lake and he took sail. Sid is defiantly not a light sleeper. Dakota giggled and they gave each other a quick high five.

"Where did Sid go this time?" Manny asked that morning

Dakota and Diego woke up and yawned. They looked at each other, trying to hide their guilt

"What did you two do?" Manny asked

All of a sudden, they heard a huge splash come from the lake. They all rushed over to find Sid drenched in water. Diego let out a slight laugh and so did Dakota but they forced themselves to keep quiet.

"How the _heck did I end up in the lake?" Sid groaned_

"_Sleepwalking?" Ellie suggested "Or in your case, sleep swimming? _

"_I guess" Sid mumbled. He started to shiver and waddled away._

_Perfect. Sid didn't suspect a thing from the two sabers. Dakota and Diego couldn't take it anymore and they started cracking up. So did everyone else who were now fully aware of their obvious prank._


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors note- Okay, so my story is leading into the movie Ice Age Dawn of the dinosaurs. Although it will be similar to the actual movie, I am going to change it up a little. If you did not yet see the movie, then your in for a big treat. **

"The baby's coming!" Manny yelled, rushing down a hill with Crash and Eddie right behind him. He was carrying a turtle shell filled with water. But by the time he reached Ellie all the water had spilled out. The shell flipped over and landed on his head, blocking him from seeing.

"Ellie? Ellie, where are you? Wait, where am _I_?" Manny called, panicking. Dakota, who was sitting on a rock watching this whole scene, rolled her eyes.

"Hi, Manny." Ellie greeted him, obviously _not _in labor.

Manny managed to get the turtle shell off his head and looked at her, shocked.

"Manny, I told you, It was just a kick." Ellie assured him

"Oh. Right." He turned to the crowd of animals who were awaiting the birth of their child "False alarm!" Everyone groaned "That's the forth time this week" someone muttered

"I know your excited, I am too, but don't you think your being a little too paranoid?" Ellie suggested

Dakota walked over and butted in "More like _obsessed_."

"Okay. Okay. Maybe your right. I just want everything to turn out perfect." Manny said"And it will." Said Ellie "You just have to be patient."

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but has anyone seen Diego?" Dakota asked

Diego was hunting. That is, attempting to hunt. He crouched down, stalking an antelope in an open field. He gripped the soil with his claws. He then made his attack, charging after the animal. But he soon began to lose his energy, slowing down to catch his breath. Diego came to a complete stop, violently breathing. The antelope noticed this and pranced around him happily.

"My feet are on fire! Take that tiger! You can't catch me!" He teased and skipped away.

Diego was not pleased with this one bit. What was happening to him? Was he loosing his predatory nature as a tiger?

* * *

"Ellie, I want to show you something" Manny said, leading the way. They came upon a playground with a seesaw and everything.

"I made it just for our baby" Manny said

Ellie smiled "Oh Manny this is amazing." she looked around and noticed everything was extra safe. Every icicle had a snowball stabbed into it, protecting the baby from the sharp point.

"Did you baby proof _everything_?" she asked

"Hey, you can never be too safe" Manny said. It was official. Manny was obsessed with making life perfect _and safe _for the baby.

Ellie chuckled "If this is how you react dealing with a _baby_, I can't wait to see how you react to the _teen _years"

Meanwhile, Sid found three giant eggs in an icy underground cave. He decided to keep them which had bad idea written all over it. He tried to push them back to the herd when one of them fell down a snowy cliff! Sid gasped and glanced at the other two eggs.

"Stay here." he ordered, as he jumped off the cliff to save his beloved egg. Seconds later, he noticed the other two eggs racing down the cliff as well.

"Ah! I told you two to stay up there!" he yelled. Sid managed to grab onto the two eggs but the third egg still was in the lead. Ellie ended up catching the third egg with her trunk and Sid was so relived.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you" Sid said, hugging all three eggs.

"Sid? Where did you get those?" Manny asked, demanding an answer

"I found them so I decided to keep them." said Sid

"You have to put them back, their mother must miss them." Dakota said

"How much could she miss them? She abandoned them and left them all alone in a freezing cold cave."

"_Put them back, Sid_!" Manny ordered

"Fine." Sid said, crossing his arms. He was so jealous of Manny and Ellie. He wanted to be a parent no matter how hard it may be. But he had no idea what he was in for.


	10. Chapter 10

Authors note- Hello. Well, sorry the last chapter was kind of short. And boring. Hopefully, this one is better. It's pretty long and I am pleased with it. Just a reminder that Dakota isn't the main character just because she's new. So Just stick with it. It'll get better I promise. I try to come up with the most Diego and Dakota moments because their my favorite couple. Okay so enjoy.

Diego was sitting all alone, gazing out into the mountains. "Manny, I think something is bothering Diego" Dakota said "Maybe you should talk to him?" "Why me? You're a tiger, you go talk to him" Manny whined

"Yeah but I'm not a guy. He needs some guy to guy talk" Dakota said

"Guy to guy talk? Guys don't need that. I'll just give him a punch in the shoulder. That's one month of therapy right there."

Ellie and Dakota looked at each other "Go talk to him" They said at the same time.

Manny sighed and approached Diego shyly. He punched his shoulder with his trunk, using his method to cheer him up. Well, It didn't work.

"Ow. What was that for?" Diego asked

"I don't know" Manny mumbled. They were quiet for a minute or so until Manny spoke again.

"Ellie and Dakota think something is bothering you so-" Manny began

Diego cut him off "Actually, there is something bothering me… I'm loosing my touch as a tiger. I need to get out there again, find adventure of my own. Lets face it, having a baby is your adventure, not mine"

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry my life's too boring for you" Manny snapped

"That's not what I meant" Diego said

"Maybe you would be better off without me and my boring life" Manny snapped again. He stormed away and Diego looked back at him, frowning.

"Isn't Ellie supposed to be the one with the hormonal imbalance?" he called

Dakota saw things weren't going too well so she decided it was her turn to give it a shot. If anyone could make Diego feel better, It would be Dakota. She skipped over to him, smiling.

"What was that all about?" Dakota asked

"I'm leaving" Said Diego, cutting to the chase

Dakota's smile instantly disappeared "what?"

"I don't belong here. I should be exploring, beyond the mountains. Finding adventure of my own. Besides, who am I kidding? I can't even hunt well anymore" Diego said, ashamed

Dakota didn't reply. She was quiet for a moment, absorbing what Diego was telling her.

"You were going to leave without me?" she asked, frowning

Diego looked at her "I want you to come with me… more then anything... I just assumed…"

"Look Diego, I'll be by your side no matter what" she smiled "We make a good team. But are you sure you want to do this?"

"Dakota! Diego!" Sid called. They both looked around to see Sid running over to them. Diego rolled his eyes.

"Where you guys going?" he asked, struggling to hold all three eggs in his week arms.

"Sid, were leaving" Diego said

"Oh. So, when you coming back?" Sid asked

"Were not coming back" Diego mumbled

It took Sid a couple seconds to catch on. "WHAT? No! Who's going to protect me? Who's going to keep me company? Who's going to be my best buddy?"

Diego sighed "Bye, Sid." He turned around and started to walk away. Sid glanced at Dakota who gave him a shy smile.

"Goodbye" she said, softly. She turned around to catch up with Diego. Dakota was willing to sacrifice all her new friends just for Diego. He knew this was hard for her but he felt that he must leave.

Sid frowned and stood there in a daze. But something else caught his attention. The eggs began to rattle violently. Sid gasped as the eggs hatched right in front of him!

"Momma!" the three baby dinosaurs cooed. The eggs were actually dinosaur eggs! They ran up to Sid and hugged him.

"I'm a mommy" he said to himself, happily.

Sid was so caught up in being a parent that he totally forgot about Dakota and Diego at the moment. The three dinosaurs were full of energy. They ran over to playground which was strictly prohibited.

"Uh, Manny said no one's allowed in there" Sid said

The three dinosaurs began to cry and Sid gave into them right away. Good parenting. Not.

"Okay, Okay" He pushed the log to the side which was the entrance to the playground.

"How much damage could they possibly make?" Sid asked himself

"Hey! The sloth says the playground's open!" someone yelled. All of a sudden, a stampede of kids charged into the playground. Everyone had no idea what the tree creatures were. After all, they all thought dinosaurs were extinct. But they assumed they were harmless. Boy were they wrong. The three baby dinosaurs obviously did not fit in and they began to cause a lot of trouble.

"You better spit out little Johnny or were leaving the playground this instant!" Sid said, stomping his foot

The dinosaur frowned but obeyed and spit something out.

"That's not little Johnny" the mother ant-eater said

Sid shrugged "Well, it's better than nothing"

Meanwhile…

Crash and Eddie burst out into tears "We miss Dakota!"

"What about Diego?" Manny asked, curious of what they had to say

"Who cares about him? Dakota is the fun one. And the funny one. And the never threatening to eat us one" Crash said

"I just still can't believe Dakota would leave without saying goodbye. I thought we were best friends…" Ellie trailed off. Dakota wanted to say goodbye to her but she thought it would just make it harder to leave.

"It wasn't her fault. It was Diego's Idea to abandon the herd." Manny mumbled

All of a sudden, they heard someone scream. They rushed over to the playground to find it completely destroyed. The seesaw was broken. The swing was broken. Everything was broken. All the animals were exhausted, terrified, or possibly eaten.

"Sid! I told you to return those eggs!" Manny yelled, furious

Right then, the baby dinosaur coughed up an ant-eater. Obviously, It was little Johnny. The ground suddenly began to shake. It got louder and louder and louder.

"Earthquake!" yelled a long-necked bird, as she stuck her head into the ground. Her offspring tried to do the same but he wasn't strong enough, thus passing out from hitting the ground so hard with his head.

Eddie and crash hopped onto Ellie's tusks "Wait. Earthquakes don't shriek." Eddie said

Everyone was shocked when a enormous dinosaur came into view.

"I thought those guys were extinct?" Ellie asked

"Then that is one angry fossil" said Manny. The Dinosaur came closer to all the animals, studying them.

"Nobody move a mussel" Manny whispered

Everyone was motionless. Dead silent. Then a [stupid] hedgehog started to run, his hands in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs. The dinosaur let out another piercing shriek and stormed through the crowd, looking for her babies. It spotted Sid, who was protecting the three dinosaurs from their own mother.

"Sid, give them to her! She's their mother!" Manny yelled

"How do I know she's their mother?" Sid yelled.

"What do you want? A birth certificate? SHE'S A DINOSAUR!"

"Look, these are my kids so back off! Your gonna have to go through me to get them" Sid protested. The dinosaur raised her eye brow. Was Sid seriously standing up to a dinosaur ten times bigger than him? She tightened her eyes then picked up all her babies from their tails, including Sid.

* * *

Dakota and Diego didn't say a single word to each other as they walked. It started to annoy her. She stopped short and Diego turned around.

"What's the matter?" He asked

"This silence is killing me, will you please say something to start a conversation"

Diego pulled his ears up "Sid?"

"You want to talk about Sid?"

"No. look. behind. you." Diego said, his eyes locked on the mother dinosaur coming there way. Dakota turned around and gasped. They both quickly dodged out of the way, the ground shaking from each stomp.

"Please tell me you just saw that too" Dakota choked out

"Oh yeah. I saw it." Diego mumbled, still in shock.

"Right when you thought you got rid of Sid, we have to rescue him" she said. This was her chance to see the gang again. Perfect. If all goes well, maybe Diego would decide to stay with the heard.


	11. Chapter 11

Authors note- Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I updated a new chapter! Yay! The bad news is, I'm going on vacation for two weeks and I will not be able to update. I'm sorry but I will update as soon as I get home. Oh and just a reminder that I am changing up the story in reference to the movie.

"The dinosaur went down there" Manny said, a shiver running down his spine. It was the same eerie, underground cave that Sid found the eggs in.

"Oh well, he's dead, we tried" Eddie said. The twin opossums turned around and began to walk away.

"I can't believe you two. Leaving without Sid? I expected better from you guys" Dakota said, approaching the herd with Diego right behind her. Eddie and Crash smiled immensely when they saw her, including Ellie.

"Dakota! I knew you wouldn't leave us!" They both yelled

"What are you doing here?" Manny asked Diego, not exactly happy with him at the moment

"Same thing your doing, looking for Sid" Diego said

"Well, we don't need your help. Were doing fine without you" Manny snapped

"Guys please. Can we focus on rescuing Sid?" Dakota said

As the herd made there way deeper into the cave, Manny began to have second thoughts

"Ellie. Maybe you should stay back in the Village. I don't want to put you in any danger. Dakota could stay with you, right Dakota?"

"Um… sure I suppose" Dakota said, disappointed. She was looking forward to seeing what awaits them.

"No way" Ellie said, stubbornly "I'm going. Nothing you say can stop me" she walked ahead of everyone, resting her case.

They finally reached the exit and entered a whole new world for them. Green plants and trees were scattered everywhere. Not to mention the dinosaurs of every shape and size.

"Toto, I don't think were in Kansas anymore" Eddie said

Right then, an ankylosaurus dinosaur threatened the herd with a fearful roar. Diego and Dakota tried to fend it off with their own roar but it was no match for the ankylosaurus.

"Any other bright ideas?" Dakota mumbled. Diego shook his head and they both hustled back over to the others. The gang realized that It's tail was stuck in between two narrow rocks. This was there chance to escape. But where? They were stranded on a ledge which gave a perfect view of the whole place. That's when Ellie got an idea when she spotted a long- neck dinosaur from below. She grabbed a leafy branch with her trunk and held it high so the dinosaur could see. Her plan worked as the long-neck reached for the branch, eating it within seconds.

"Okay, now what?" Manny asked.

Ellie winked at the gang and jumped onto the long-neck's back, sliding down it with Crash and Eddie on her head. Dakota shrugged and followed her example. Next was Manny and Diego who hesitated at first but jumped on as the ankylosaurus broke free from the rocks and roared once more.

There they were, out in the open, surrounded by a crowd of angry reptiles. They were goners. Then, out of no where, a crazy looking weasel jumped upon them. He quickly threw dozens of purple berries at the dinosaurs, which exploded into a strange yellow color. The weasel ushered the animals away before the yellow smoke disappeared.

"Who are you?" Manny asked

"Never mind that, let's get moving" He ordered. The weasel took the herd to a safe place, away from all the madness.

"Dude!" Eddie yelled "That. Was. Awesome!"

"Your like the brother I never had" Crash added

The weasel studied the group and made his way to the two sabers. He examined Diego's teeth and frowned.

"Hmph" He mumbled "A little dull"

He then looked at Dakota and smiled slightly. She was very pretty he had to admit.

"She's a fine looking mate you got there" He noted

Diego blushed "Um, she's not my mate"

He looked Dakota over again and shook his head in agreement "Your Right. A saber like her could do much better"

Diego let out a low growl but Dakota couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"The name's Buck. Short for Buckminster" He introduced himself

"Yeah, nice to meet you but where here looking for our friend. He was taken away by a dinosaur" Dakota reported

"Oh, Well, He's dead. Now go home" He said

"Not without Sid" Ellie said

"I've got tracks" Diego reported

"Let's find Sid and get out of here" Manny mumbled.

"If you go in there" he pointed towards the footprints "you'll find your friend… in the after life"

"Uh, thanks but I think we can take it from here" Manny said, starting to walk away

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, _Whoa. You think your on some tropical getaway? You need some guidance if you want to make it out of here alive. Take it from me, I live here."_

_He grabbed the dirt from the footprint and stuffed it in his mouth. He looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking over what it tasted like "Momma dinosaur… carrying three babies and… some floppy green thing"_

"_That would be Sid" Manny said_

_Dakota and Diego looked at him in amazement "You got all of that from a track?"_

"_Not really" He admitted "I saw her earlier today. Anyway, she's headed for lava falls. That's where she cares for her newborns"_

"_Okay, Well, How do we get there?" Dakota asked_

"_To get there, you have to get through the jungle of misery, across the casem of death, and the plaits of whoa" Buck said "But Momma dinosaur is the least of your worries. You might run into the beast along the way. A much bigger dinosaur that could squish you all like a bug. I call him… Rudy"_

"_Oh that's a relief" Manny started to say in a sarcastic tone "I was worried if it was something, oh I don't know, like Sheldon or Teddy"_

_Buck ignored that last remark and pointed to his eye, which was covered up with an eye patch "Rudy is the one who gave me this"_

"_Whoa!" Eddie cooed "He gave you that eye patch!"_

"_For free? That's so cool!" Crash said_

_Dakota rolled her eyes at the twins. She looked at Manny "Look. Let's face it. Were in a little over our heads. Let the weasel guide us there"_

_Buck smiled "Your friend speaks wise words. I'd listen to her, mate"_

"_Fine" Manny mumbled "Lead the way," He hesitated, forgetting his name "Buck"_


	12. Chapter 12

Authors note- Hey, hey, hey! I'm back! I probably lost like all my readers due to being gone for so long. When I was away, I wrote like six chapters in my journal so I'm going to update as much as possible. Hopefully someone is still interested in my story. By the way, I changed the title just to let you know. This chapter is actually my worst out of the six I written this past 2 weeks so just stick with it. I Promise It'll get better.

Meanwhile, Sid was just about to get eaten by the mother dinosaur when her three babies beg to differed. They stood in front of him, protecting there so called mother.

"Fine" The mother dinosaur thought "I guess he's no harm"

Sid was safe. For now. As long as he stayed with the momma dinosaur, he would be perfectly fine.

* * *

"Hm, I'm a little hungry-" Ellie began

"Your hungry? I'll get you something to eat" Manny insisted

"But Manny I-" Ellie didn't even bother to finish her sentence. She knew Manny would just get her some food anyway, even if he had to travel to the center of the Earth.

Manny spotted a strange looking fruit, all alone, on a strong vine.

"Uh, Manny. I wouldn't do that. This place isn't exactly predictable" Diego suggested, walking over to him.

"Oh, come on. What could happen?" Manny said as he reached for the fruit with his trunk. The second he touched it, a huge vines fly trap popped out from beneath them. It grabbed onto Manny and Diego

"What is that thing?" Dakota yelled

"Aye, It's a vines fly trap… Well, In this case, a vines mammoth and or saber trap" Buck said

"That's it.. I'm taking this thing down" Ellie said, preparing herself to charge into it.

"I wouldn't do that. It'll just eat you right up as well. I figure It'll take two minutes to fully digest. Maybe three for the fat one" Buck said

"I'm not fat" Manny yelled from inside the vines trap

"Don't just stand there, do something" Dakota ordered

Buck nodded "Right, I'm on it" He made his way inside the trap which was now filled with a green liquid substance. He dove down to the bottom where he found a blue and red wire. He rolled his eyes, and cut the red wire with his knife. The plant started to close in on them, becoming tighter and tighter. Buck struggled to cut the blue wire but managed to cut it with seconds to spare. The plant exploded but Diego, Manny, and Buck were safe.

"Are you guys alright?" Ellie asked

"Never better" Manny mumbled.

The herd started moving again, trying to save some daylight.

"Well, that was defiantly an experience I'll never forget" Diego said

Dakota smiled "Hey if you wanted adventure, you got your wish"

"This is my kind of place" he said

"Hello?" said Buck, holding a cell phone shaped rock up to his ear. Everyone stared at him like he was crazy. Well, he is crazy. "I can't talk now, were entering the casum of death" he paused "I know, and they think I'm crazy. Okay bye… What?" he paused again, lowering his voice "Oh, I love you too"

Dakota smirked "That's you in three weeks"

"So when exactly did you go insane?" Manny asked Buck

"I woke up one morning married to a pineapple… she was an ugly pineapple" he sighed "but I loved her"

* * *

While walking, Ellie clenched her stomach with her trunk again. Of course Manny noticed this and started to freak out again. What a surprise.

"What is it? Is the baby coming?" He asked

"No, Manny" Ellie assured him, for the thousandth time "It was just a kick"

"Ugh, this is getting annoying" Dakota groaned "What we need is a code name"

"A code name?" Manny asked

"Yeah, a word for Ellie to use if she feels like she's going into labor." Dakota looked around and spotted a tree filled with dozens of peaches "Like peaches"

"That's perfect" Manny smiled "I love peaches. There sweet and fuzzy and round. Just like you, Ellie"

"So you think I'm round?" Ellie asked

"Yes. No. Um, round is good. Round is foxy" Manny grinned

Dakota chuckled once "Nice save"

"PEACHES!" Ellie yelled at the top of her lungs

"What? What's happening? The baby's coming!?" Manny yelled

Ellie chuckled "Nah. I just wanted to make sure the code name worked. And it did." Everyone laughed out loud although Manny did not find it very funny.

The group soon entered a dark cave and they all stopped short when they approached a ledge. A lake of toxic fumes awaited them which had a yellowish color to it. Buck cut a vine with his knife and a skeleton like elevator fell down in front of them.

"Ladies first" Buck said "Just hold your breath, don't want to take in any of the toxic fumes"

"Toxic fumes!?" Manny asked "Hold up, Are you sure this thing is safe?"

"Aye, I'm positive." Buck said. Manny and Diego looked at each other, highly doubting it was safe. They were not a fan of this idea especially since Dakota and Ellie were the ones in possible danger. Dakota hopped on first, excited to see how this would work. After all, she is pretty much fearless. Ellie followed her, slowly walking onto it. Buck cut another vine and the elevator went souring across the fumes. Diego and Manny swallowed hard.

"Dakota?" Diego called

"Ellie?" Manny called next

Dakota and Ellie giggled from the other side "You have to try this, It's so much fun!"

The rest of them slowly paced themselves onto the elevator. It took off again, only inches away from the toxic fumes. Then, it got stuck. Figures. And lets not forget that they were still holding their breath.

"Uh, having some technical difficulties" Buck mumbled, pulling on another vine

Crash and Eddie's faces were turning purple.

"Ugh, I can't take this!" Crash said, gasping for air, Eddie following his example. They gulped as they expected their death to come any second but it turned out, they were perfectly fine… Sorta.

"Hey, were not dead!" Eddie squeaked

"Ha! Listen to your voice. Hahaha!" Crash screeched

The twins busted out laughing and for some reason they couldn't stop. Well, the toxic fumes were actually laughing gas.

Diego finally snapped, gasping for air "Will you two knock it off?!" he squeaked

The twins looked at him for a few seconds then started to crack up again, including Diego. Pretty soon, everyone was laughing up a storm.

"There laughing? Why are they laughing" Dakota asked as Buck struggled to get the elevator moving again

"Let me define laughing gas: They will die laughing! "

Ellie and Dakota looked down. There were skeletons and bones scattered everywhere. It really was a death chamber.

"Stop laughing!"

They simply ignored them, their minds lost by the fumes. It was like an addiction. Easy to start, hard to stop.

"Where all gonna die!" Diego laughed

"And the best part is, were doing all this just to save Sid!" Manny added

Buck finally got it moving again. Thank goodness. They tumbled off the elevator and stopped laughing. Their voices returned to normal and they felt like a bunch of idiots.

"How much of that did you hear?" Diego asked, completely embarrassed

Dakota's face hovered over his "Only… All of it."

* * *

Okay, what's on the menu for today?" Sid asked the tree hungry dinosaurs. He gathered a bunch of vegetables and poured them onto a stone shaped table. The dinosaurs took one look at the food and they made a funny face, suggesting that the food was gross.

"Oh, come on! You got to eat your vegetables" Sid insisted, forcing them to be vegetarians.

All of a sudden, the mother dinosaur plopped a dead bird onto the table and the baby dinosaurs smiled with happiness. They were about to dig in when Sid stopped them.

"No, no, no. This meal is too feathery and meaty…" Sid plucked a feather from It's tail and it woke up, scared out of It's mind. "and alive!" It grabbed onto Sid, holding onto him for dear life.

"Aw, It's okay little buddy. Be free and fly away" He threw the bird up in the air. Unfortunately, it was a flightless bird and it fell down a cliff. The odds that it actually survived were slim. The momma dinosaur huffed and brought over a big meaty bone of some sort. Her babies ate it with smiles on there faces.

The momma dinosaur raised her eye brow at Sid, proving she made a better mother than him

"Fine" Sid mumbled "You win this round"


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors note- Aw I love this chapter! Big Diego and Dakota moment! Please review and let me know what you think :D**

The group soon found a resting spot for the night. They didn't want to take any risks traveling in the dark. A spark flew from the fire and the stars twinkled in the sky. Buck decided to tell them the whole story about his rival with the mighty Rudy. His knife he carried around was actually Rudy's tooth. But in exchange, he had lost his eye. It must have been one heck of a battle. All Buck wanted was revenge.

Dakota stood up, a little restless

"Where are you going?" Ellie asked

"Just going to get a drink" She simply answered

"Be careful" Ellie called

Dakota walked over to a little waterfall nearby. The best part about being a tiger is that you have excellent night vision.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Crash were bored. They thought it would be the perfect time to bug Diego. Not like they have anything else better to do.

"So," Eddie began "you really like Dakota, huh?"

"What's it to you?" Diego asked, coolly.

"Oh I don't know… I was just wondering before she leaves the herd."

"She would never do that. She likes being with me- uh, I mean us"

"Well, If you don't make a move sooner or later, she's going to think your not interested. And when that happens she's going to leave _without you_" Crash said

"There are plenty of other male sabers looking for _mates_. And then, you will be one lonely tiger my friend" Eddie added

Diego flinched at that last remark. He hated the idea of Dakota being with another saber.

He pulled his ears back and quickly changed the subject "Um. I'm a little thirsty"

He got up and walked over to the waterfall. The twins smiled and gave each other a knuckle punch. Although they thought Diego was a stick in the mud, it would be nice to see him and Dakota officially together. And by that I mean, mate and mate.

Dakota greeted him with a warm smile, which made him have to smile back. She looked around and studied her surroundings "This place is amazing" Right then, she tripped over a tree root, tumbling over herself.

"Correction: This place is dangerous. You shouldn't be out here all by yourself"

She dusted herself off and rolled her eyes "your beginning to sound like Manny"

"I… Just don't want you to get hurt…"

She slightly smiled, admiring his care for her "I can take care of myself… most of the time"

There was along pause of silence until Diego spoke again "So you like me, right?"

"Of course I like you" She chuckled "what kind of question is that?"

"I don't know…" He trailed off. "But you like me a lot, right?"

"Yes" she said softly as she took another sip of refreshing water.

"But… Do you like me more than a friend?" He choked out

She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows. Now she knew where he was going with this. She slowly circled around him, talking her sweet time. Diego was frozen, including his heartbeat. She finally stopped and nuzzled up against him, purring.

"More than a best friend" she said, narrowing her eyes

"Hey you two love birds!" Buck called. They both blushed instantly. "You better get some shut eye. We've got a big day ahead of us"

Dakota smiled one last time and walked back over to the herd. Diego sighed. He finally gets a moment alone with Dakota and Buck had to ruin it. But he knows how she feels about him, and he was too happy to be annoyed.

The next morning, Diego was the first to wake "Come on guys! Lets get moving. It's a _greattt _day and were burning daylight"

Everyone got up slowly, stretching and yawning

"What's got him in such a good mood" Manny asked

Ellie glanced at Dakota "I'll give you one guess"

* * *

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we've been walking in circles?" Dakota asked

"Were lost, aren't we?" Manny said, asking his so called navigator

"I know exactly where we are" Buck said

"Then where are we?"

"I don't know…" Buck admitted

"Let's ask someone for directions" Ellie suggested

"I don't need directions. I'm just having a little bit of a… brain freeze." said buck

"What is it with guys and asking for directions?" mumbled Dakota

Diego looked around. He noticed a prehistoric looking bird about the size of Sid. Maybe a little smaller. His feathers were a strange color of purple and blue and they shined in the sunlight.

"Hey, you!" Diego called

It took one look of Diego and let out a scream of fear "AHH! A tiger! Don't eat me!"

"Wait, I'm not going to eat you" It was too late. The bird flew high up into a tree "Ugh. Forget it…"

Dakota smirked "Being top of the food chain can have it's disadvantages"

She winked at him "Watch and learn. Sometimes It just takes the _female_ touch"

She skipped over to the tree, trying to look as harmless as possible. Truth was, she really did look less threatening than Diego.

"Excuse me" She called.

The bird peaked his head out of the leaves and gulped "Your not going to eat me for lunch are you?"

"Of course not" she said "I just need directions"

The bird trusted her words and landed right in front of her, which is rare when you're a saber. There was this innocent look in Dakota's eyes that made almost _anyone_ trust her.

"I need to know how to get to Lava Falls"

"Oh. That's easy. You have to go South, about one mile or so. Then you'll reach a rocky mountain side and that's your ticket to the falls" he directed

"Thanks" Said Dakota

"But I must warn you, the path may be… dangerous"

"Were willing to risk it"

She walked back over to Diego and smiled "Works every time"

Diego tried to hide a smile. Truth was, she made him feel so different. So happy. His personality changed when he was with her. In a good way. She knew how to bring out the fun in animals, no matter how serious and tough they may seem. Dakota's charm pretty much made her irresistible.


	14. Chapter 14

"Here we are" Buck announced "Just across this mountain side. See? I told you I knew where I was going"

Everyone made there way onto the rocky path, wondering if it were really safe. The wind blew, creating an eerie whistling sound.

"What's that sound?" Crash asked, nervously

"It's the wind. It's speaking to us." Buck whispered

"What's it saying?" Eddie asked

"How am I supposed to know? I don't speak wind"

Apparently, according to the bird, the group was taking a huge risk traveling along the mountain side. One wrong step could make the path begin to crumble into a pit of darkness. Well… That's exactly what happened. The rocky path began to shake, separating Ellie and Manny. He tried to lock tucks with her but found himself in danger as well. Then, everything was still. Silent. When the dust disappeared, Manny soon realized that Ellie was stuck on the top of all the rocks and debris. And as if he wasn't under enough stress, Ellie finally went into labor.

"Pineapple!" Ellie yelled

"Pineapple? What is that supposed to mean?" Eddie asked

Ellie began to yell all kinds of fruits. Blueberries, apples, strawberries, you name it.

"I think she wants a fruit salad" Buck said to himself

Then, Ellie remembered the correct code word "PEACHES!"

The guys were clueless [no surprise]. It was Dakota who knew what she was trying to tell them.

"The code word" Dakota whispered "Oh. My. God. The baby's coming!" she glanced at Manny "Now would be the appropriate time to panic"

Manny freaked out.

"You go take care of your mate" Buck ordered "Crash, Eddie, and I will go rescue your friend"

"Wait. You can't leave me! I need your help!"

"Manny, Don't worry. I've got your back" Diego assured him

He smiled a little, grateful to have Diego by his side. Right then, a pack of Guan long dinosaurs came out of a cave. They saw Ellie and licked their lips, quite hungry as a matter of fact. She was a sitting goose.

"Dakota and I will protect Ellie, you have to stop those things" Diego said

In the background, Dakota was already making her way to Ellie with no interference from any of the dinosaurs. She was so fast she made it to her in no time.

"How you holding up?" Dakota asked, panting

Ellie didn't answer. She had a question of her own "Where's Manny?"

"He's coming. No worries" Dakota said softly

Diego was running through the obstacles of rocks to catch on of the Guan longs. He began to loose his breath again, which was not a good sign. He felt the erg to stop but forced himself to keep running. An attempt to impress Dakota or gain back his pride? Defiantly both. He reached the dinosaur and took him down! Dakota noticed this and cheered him on "Yay, Diego!"

"Excuse me, giving birth here" Ellie reminded her

"Right. Sorry. Your doing great. Keep it up."

Diego reached the top and grinned "My feet are on fire! Take that! Can't run away from me!"

"Diego!" Dakota called. She growled at another Guan long only inches away from her face. Diego took it down with over confidence, not even breaking a sweat.

Meanwhile, Buck was steering a Pteranodon dinosaur, soaring it through the sky. He darted under long- necks, soaring under their bellies.

Now, I bet your all wondering about Sid. Well, after being separated by the momma dinosaur and being spooked by Rudy, Sid ended up on a flat stone which was floating down the lava river, seconds away from his death.

"I see Sid!" Eddie reported

"Roger" Buck said, trying to make clear he heard him correctly.

"Roger? Who's Roger?" Crash asked

"How about we save Sid _then _we save Roger?" Eddie suggested

"Oy." Buck mumbled, rolling his eyes

Right when Sid was about to fall down the lava fall, the Pteranodon swooped down and rescued him. Sid sighed in relief. He frowned though when he remembered he never got the chance to say goodbye to his kids. Would he ever see them again to share their goodbyes?

* * *

"Finally! What took you so long?" Diego asked, when Manny reached the top

"Um, did you notice the pack of flesh eating dinosaurs?"

Dakota butted in "Manny? Would you like to see your baby?"

A baby's gurgling filled their ears and they all looked around to see a beautiful baby girl in Ellie's arms. Manny's heart melted the second he saw her.

"What should we name her?" Ellie asked softly

"I like Ellie" Manny suggested

"How about Peaches?"

"Peaches?"

"Yeah. She's round and sweet and covered in fuzz"

"Okay" Manny smiled "Peaches"

Diego looked at Dakota who had a big smile on her face. He knew how much she wanted cubs. He could tell by the expression on her face. If Peaches made her this happy, than just think how happy she would be with a baby of her own. But did he have the guts to even suggest having a family with her?

Dakota met his gaze and walked over to him. She slightly nuzzled up against him and sighed "See? I told you. You never lost your predatory nature as a tiger." She chuckled "You just had to build up your stamina."

He smiled and nodded "You see the way I took out those dinosaurs? Pretty impressive, right?"

She giggled "You did good, Diego."

All of a sudden, Sid dropped out of the sky. He must of fell off of the Pteranodon even though Buck told him to keep all hands and feet inside the dinosaur at all times, and that includes his body.

"It's a boy!" Sid yelled in excitement

Diego narrowed his eyes "That's it's tail…"

"It's a girl!" he corrected himself

Buck, Eddie, and Crash, came running over, still in a daze after being hundreds of feet in the air.

"Ellie! Ellie! Your okay!" The twins yelled, happily.

Buck smiled "Alright you guys. Let's get you back home"


	15. Chapter 15

**Authors note- Wow! Four new chapters In one night! I changed up this part a lot in comparison to the movie. But in my opinion, I like it better this way. AND I have a surprise new member of the herd. No, not Dakota but I bet you can guess who it is. This is my favorite chapter so far :D**

"Are we there yet?" Sid complained

"We'll get there when we get there" Manny snapped

Dakota smiled and said sarcastically "Glad to have you back, Sid"

A loud roar echoed throughout the lands. All the dinosaurs around them looked up and began to run away. Oh boy. Here comes trouble.

"Manny? Please tell me that was your stomach rumbling" Sid gulped

Buck smiled evilly "He's here"

"Who's here?" Ellie asked nervously, pulling Peaches closer to her

"Rudy"

The ground began to shake which meant the creature was getting closer. They were going to run into him no matter what because he was blocking their exit.

"Okay, I've got a plan but it could be risky"

"We've been taking risks all day. I think we can handle it" Said Dakota

"Aright. Who's the fastest here?"

Everyone took one step back except Dakota. She sighed "What do I got to do?"

Dakota was the one to end up being bate. Typical.

"Um. She's not going to get hurt, right?" Diego asked shyly

"She'll be just fine… hopefully"

"Hopefully?!"

"Kidding. Kidding. Sheesh"

"No worries, Diego." Dakota said "I'll be okay"

* * *

There she was. Face to face with Rudy. To her this was all just one big game. She had so much confidence and bravery that fear was not even in her vocabulary. Dakota through a rock at his head which made him flip out. Rudy charged after her and she took off running, following Buck's orders. She lead him to a cliff side which seemed to be stupid because now she was trapped.

"Dakota's in position!" Buck yelled from above

Buck and Eddie jumped off the cliff with long, vines attached to them. They used the vines as a bungee vines cord [bungee jumping :D] and grabbed onto Dakota in a blink of an eye. When they reached the top again, they all had a big grin on their faces.

"That was awesome!" Crash yelled.

"What a rush!" Eddie added.

"Okay. Manny and Ellie, bombs away" Buck directed.

If you think one mammoth is strong, than just imagine the strength of two. An avalanche of sharp, heavy boulders came pouring down onto Rudy, pinning him to the ground. The gang rushed down the cliff side, eager to go home.

"That should hold him" Buck said. Right then, Rudy slowly got up, totally recovering from a violent avalanche of rocks. "For about 5 seconds"

"Plan B?" Dakota asked

"RUN!" Buck yelled

Then, Momma dinosaur came charging to the rescue, pushing Rudy down into ditch of darkness which was on the opposite side of this whole scene. They thought for sure he was dead. It must have been a 500 foot drop.

"My Kids!" Sid yelled, running over to the three baby dinosaurs. Unfortunately, It was time for Sid to say goodbye. "Bye" Sid sniffed "Take care of yourselves. Wash behind your ears. Brush your teeth. Eat your vegetables" He watched them until they were out of sight, following their true mother.

Dakota sat down next to him "You did the right thing, Sid. They belong with her… But, I have to admit, you make a pretty good mother"

Sid hugged her instantly and she rolled her eyes "That doesn't mean I want to touch" He ignored her and continued hugging.

* * *

"I- I can't believe he's dead" Buck said to himself "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Why don't you come with us?" Ellie asked. It might not of sounded like a temping offer because their herd was so… strange. So they all bunched together [as if they were talking a group photo], looking like one big happy family.

"You want me to… join your herd?" He asked

"Hey, the more the merrier" Manny said

Buck hesitated at first. All his life, all he wanted was revenge from Rudy. And now that Rudy was dead… he had no other meaning to live here. He smiled and nodded, accepting their offer. Buck was now the newest member to the herd.

* * *

The gang made their way to the exit. Ellie lead the way with Peaches holding onto her tail, the rest of the herd following.

"Hey, Diego" Manny called "Thanks for helping us out back there."

"That's what friends are for"

"So… I was thinking about you leaving and I really think-" Manny began

"Nah, I'm not leaving"

"Wow… That was easy… I had this whole speech planned out-"

"I'm not going anywhere, Manny. This herd is the herd for me." He glanced at Dakota who was rolling around in the snow. She was so happy to be away from all the madness and back in the peaceful valley. Diego smiled at the sight of her. As long as she stayed with him, he was one happy tiger.

Manny raised his eye brows "Do I see cubs on the way?"

Diego pulled his ears back "No… We're just friends…"

Manny frowned "Look, you don't have to hide how you feel about her. I know your not a big fan of admitting your feeling but we all know you like her… and we all know she likes you. Swallow your pride and go for it"

"Thanks for the advice" Diego said, a little bit of sarcasm in his tone, trying to act all tough.

Manny shrugged "That's what friends are for"

Dakota got up and shook all the snow off of her. She walked over to Diego shyly, wondering if they were leaving or not "Are we still leaving, Diego?"

"I don't know about you, but I really like it here. I told you It was a bad idea to leave the herd but you know females… they never listen" Diego said sarcastically.

Dakota smiled and reached in to lick him but someone then rudely interrupted. Sid fell out of the tree above them, making a loud thud when he hit the ground.

He rubbed his head "Uh, I was defiantly not spying on you two. I just wanted that apple up there"

"It's a pine tree, Sid" Dakota said, narrowing her eyes "Last time I checked, apples grow on apple trees"

"Right… Um, coming Manny" Sid called, running over to him as fast as possible. Obviously, Manny did not call him. It was just an excuse to get away.

"Now that were alone, I- uh- want to ask you something" Diego choked out

"Alright. What is it?" Dakota asked, her blue eyes staring at him

Diego chickened out right away and quickly thought up a random question "Um, Do you want to go hunting later?"

She pulled her eyebrows together, knowing that was not his original question "Sure"

Another long pause.

"Diego, is something bothering you?" she asked

He sighed "No…"

"You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"Yeah. I know"

She flashed him another quick smile and walked back over to the others. Good job, Diego. You blew it. At this rate, he would never build up enough guts to ask her to be his mate.


	16. Chapter 16

Authors note- Sorry, this is kind of a short chapter. Don't you worry about me finishing the story because I'm planning to write a lot more chapters. And I was just thinking the other day, I think Dakota's voice should either be Anne Hathaway or Alexis Bledel. What do you think? Do you have any other good voices to play Dakota? :D

After everyone got settled, Manny instantly got to work. He was determined to fix Peaches' playground and make it perfect for her. When Manny was just about done, Diego came running over to him, looking a little worried.

"What's wrong?" Manny asked, stabbing another snowball into an icicle.

"I can't find Dakota anywhere" Diego said

"You know Dakota, she's probably-"

"Getting into trouble?" Diego finished his sentence. Diego was 100% correct.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"You know, as much as I love guys chasing me, this is a little too much" Dakota smirked. She climbed up a tree to get away from two rhinos who were not very pleased with her.

"You get down here!" One of them called. He began to bang the tree with his horn, making it shake violently.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go" she leaped down and continued running. She quickly ran over to the herd and hid behind Manny.

"Where have you been?" Ellie asked

"Oh, you know just… hanging around" She said through heavy paints "Yeah, so, if you see anyone who looks like their trying to kill me… tell them I just died"

"Dakota!? What did you do?" Ellie asked

She didn't answer. Instead she flashed one of her 'I'm up to no good' smiles and took off running again.

"Diego-" Ellie began

"Already on it" He said, starting to run.

Minutes later, the two rhinos approached the herd. Sid gasped and looked away, hoping they would not recognize him. They were the same two rhinos who tried to kill him a while ago. Actually, if it weren't for them, he and Manny would have never even met.

"Good going, Carl, we lost her"

"You haven't happened to see a female tiger run by here, have you?" asked the other, who's name was Frank.

They all smiled nervously and shook their heads.

"Hey" Frank said, studying Sid "Do we know you?"

"Nope. Never saw you before in my life" Sid said, changing the tone of his voice, trying to hide his true identity.

"Oh yeah. I remember this guy… He the one who ruined our perfectly good salad" Carl snapped

"Take it easy, fellas. It was so long ago… Can't we all just have one big laugh about it" Sid gulped, backing away.

Buck did a back flip in the air, landing right upon Sid. He waved his Knife in the air, warning them to back off "Just back away slowly and nobody gets hurt"

"Forget it, Carl. This weasel is crazy. Let's get out of here"

"I bet we can still catch up to that saber"

* * *

"I think we've lost them" Diego said, painting "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing. Rhinos are really sensitive. I say one comment to them and they get all offended." She sighed "I got to learn to keep my mouth shut"

Diego smiled. One thing he loved about Dakota was her unique personality. The ground began to shake and when they turned around they saw two angry rhinos coming their way

"They just don't know when to quit" Dakota said under her breath. The two sabers started to run again. This game of cat and mouse was starting to bore Dakota and it was time to make her getaway. She led Diego to two cliffs. There was a large gap in the way and it looked like a long way down.

She didn't slow down though. Not even a little.

Diego wondered what she was up to "Dakota????"

She smiled evilly and winked at him. She was going to jump it! At the very last second, she pushed her hind legs off the ground, souring through the sky. Diego gulped and followed her example. The things you do for love. Dakota landed on the other side first, tumbling over herself. Diego landed right next to her, his heart pounding a mile a minute.

Carl and Frank stopped short and huffed "You got away this time!"

"Lousy tigers" Carl mumbled as they walked away, ashamed of their defeat.

"I can't believe we just did that" Diego said, still in shock

Dakota laughed and nuzzled up against him.

"What was that for?"

"No reason- I just like you a lot" she smiled, mocking him.


	17. Chapter 17

Authors note- I'd just like to thank ograndebatata, ComatoseRose, Red Mermaid Princess and goddess-chan123 for sticking with my story from the very beginning. :D

Buck had a nice fire going. It felt different having him around but they would get used to him. Although he was slightly crazed, he really was skillful at many things.

"See Diego? Aren't you glad you didn't leave us? Ah, it feels like just yesterday that you left your own pack for us" Sid said

"I know. What a big mistake" Diego said with his usual sarcasm

"You made the right choice" Ellie said

"It could be worse" Buck said, balancing his knife on his nose "you could be living with a herd of crazed weasels"

Diego raised his eyebrow "True"

"No offense but the leader of your pack kind of scared me" Sid said

"What a surprise" Manny commented

"What was his name again? Moto, Zoto, Foto, Toto-"

"Soto, Sid"

"Right, Right, I remember now. He was the one crazy for revenge. Tried to kill the baby. Tried to kill Manny. Diego saved the day. Yadi yadi yaa." He turned to Dakota "What about you? What was your leader like?"

"Sid, don't-" Diego began. He knew how sensitive she was about her pack.

"It's alright, Diego." she said softly. "My father, Oliver, was leader. My pack loved him. They practically worshipped him. Everyone except me that is… To be honest, we really never had a good relationship. He always compared me to my brother, Todd, and I hated that. He always nagged me about acting more like my perfect, responsible brother."

She paused. "My father was just way too over protective of me. It made me feel so… trapped. He even told me I would wind up killing myself." She swallowed, mostly talking to herself at this point "I realize now he was overprotective because… he loved me and he didn't want to lose me… Instead I ended up losing him" She trailed off, forgetting that everyone was even there.

Ellie picked up peaches, breaking the painful silence. She knew what she was going through because she too had lost her family. But Dakota had it worse. She lost her family when she was a teen. Dakota remembered every detail about her pack while Ellie's memory was a blur. "Okay, story time's over. Say goodnight Peaches"

Ellie smiled sadly at Dakota and walked away, everyone else following. Everyone except Diego.

"You okay?" He asked softly

She blinked a few times and forced a smile "I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Like Ellie said, story time's over" She walked away, wanting to be alone. Diego frowned. He just wanted to see her happy and he had an idea on how to make that happen.

* * *

That morning…

"Hey, I have an idea, let's all go to the beach today" Diego suggested

"The beach? Why do you want to go there?" Manny asked

"You know, to relax… and stuff" Diego lied. He wanted to go to cheer up Dakota after last night. She told him the beach was her favorite place to go.

"The water's going to be freezing" Ellie said

"Hey, I'm up for the beach. I can show off my fishing skills" Buck said

"Awesome!" Crash and Eddie said together, looking at Buck like he was some kind of goddess

"Alright. Why not?" Manny said "We better get moving. It's about 2 miles up"

"Hey, Dakota!" Ellie called, walking her up from her deep sleep "Were going to the beach. Come on!"

"The beach?" Dakota asked herself, a smile appearing on her face.

They reached the beach in no time. It was a little windy yet relaxing and peaceful. The waves washed along shore in a constant pattern and the sun peeked out through the mountains. Their were rocks scattered along the shore, perfect for walking on. Dakota was the first to run onto the beach, racing through a flock of birds and leaping onto the first rock. Sid followed her example but the birds ended up attacking him.

Dakota chuckled as Sid made his way over to her. He stuck his foot in the water and shivered "It's freezing"

"Hence the term: Ice age" Dakota smirked. An enormous wave splashed along the rock and Dakota got drenched in sea water. Sid laughed out loud. Dakota narrowed her eyes and pushed him into the water. She giggled as she leaped onto another rock. Sid struggled to get out of the water and when he did he waved his fist in the air "You'll pay for that"

She rolled her eyes and continued jumping onto each rock. She looked around and noticed Peaches playing happily in the water with Ellie and Manny supervising. Crash, Eddie, and Buck were fishing. With a single throw of his knife, Buck would catch up to three fish at once. She then noticed Diego who was sitting all alone, staring at the sand. She knew something was bothering him and she was determined to find out. Diego met her gaze and smiled nervously. He got up and walked over to her.

"I know it was your idea to come here" She said

"How do you know that? You were sleeping"

"Ellie told me"

"I… Just don't want you to be upset… so I thought it would cheer you up"

She sighed "I haven't been to the beach in so long I forgot how much I love it. So thank you"

There was a long pause of awkward silence.

"So I was thinking…I hope I'm not asking too soon but- Um, never mind"

"Diego, spit it out" Dakota ordered

"I was wondering if you want to, you know, have a family with me. You and I. Together." he choked out

Dakota's eyes widened and she just stared at him, speechless.

"Dakota, say something"

"Finally!" She yelled, making him jump a little "I was beginning to get impatient"

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Diego said quietly "It would of made things a lot easier"

"Because that's usually when guys run."

He chuckled a little and sighed in relief. He gave her a quick lick on the cheek and she blushed. Right then, Sid came out of know where "ITS ABOUT TIME! Sheesh, Diego, talk about cats got your tongue"

He plopped in between them and sighed "Ah, isn't it such a beautiful sunrise"

"Sid" Diego growled "Why don't you do us a favor and go jump in a lake" Why is it that every time he gets a moment alone with her, someone just has to interrupt?

"Silly, Diego. This is the Ocean" Sid corrected him.

Diego pushed him in the water. Great minds think alike. The two sabers laughed out loud. A few seconds later, Sid reached the surface and gasped for air. He narrowed his eyes "Ha-ha. You two are so funny" He said sarcastically "Jerks…"


	18. Chapter 18

Authors note- Well, sorry for the long wait. I finally got this chapter posted. I think I edited this like 20 times xD

Everyone was asleep except for Manny, Diego, and Sid. It was just like old times. Just the tree of them.

"So Peaches said her first word today…" Manny said

"Let me guess- it was either mommy or daddy" said Diego

"I wish…" Manny mumbled "Her first word was… Sid"

"Are you serious?" Sid yelled with joy

"Please don't get over excit-" Manny began although he was wasting his breath

"Woo Hoo! Peaches knows my name! In your face, Diego!"

Diego huffed "whatever"

"Aw don't be jealous. It's not my fault Peaches likes me more"

"Sid, that's not true" Manny interrupted

Sid changed the subject "Hey. You know what I just realized?"

"That you're an idiot?" Diego smirked

"No! Its just the tree of us- just like old times. Don't you ever wish we could go back to how it used to be? Just us three?"

Manny and Diego glanced at Sid then glanced at their mates. They looked at each other and laughed "No way"

Manny got up and cuddled up next to Ellie. Diego did the same with Dakota. Sid frowned at first but then smiled as he thought more about it. The herd has grown so much. Manny and even Diego had come such a long way. And everyone couldn't be happier.

* * *

"Diego, stop pacing." Sid said, biting into a twig.

He groaned "I can't help it."

"If it makes you feel any better, your doing much better then I was when Ellie went into labor" Manny noted

"Yeah but I usually never get like this…" Diego said

"It's called nerves my friend" Buck said "It's normal to be nervous for your mate"

"I'm not nervous. I'm just… concerned. What's talking so long?"

"Maybe it's like stuck or something" Sid suggested

Diego rolled his eyes and continued pacing back and forth.

Meanwhile…

Crash looked over at his sleeping brother, rubbing his hands together mischievously. He placed a pile of dung on Eddie's hand and tickled his nose with a feather. Eddie instantly swatted at his noise which made the dung splat all over his face.

Crash started cracking up "Ha-ha-ha"

"Ew, gross" Eddie said to himself who was still half asleep. He stood up and huffed "I'm gonna get you for this!"

Ellie finally walked out of the cave "Okay, Diego. You can go in now" Diego slightly smiled and raced into the cave.

"Well, Diego's in for a big surprise" Ellie said

"Oh?" Manny asked

"She had twins-" Right then, Crash and Eddie came running over. Eddie tackled his brother to the ground and he began to strangle him violently "-boy twins"

"Hey! Nock it off!" Buck ordered, grabbing them by their tails. He sniffed Eddie which made his face twist in a disgusted gesture

"Why do you smell like…" He looked thoughtful for a moment "Dung?"

Eddie didn't answer. Instead her attempted to hit Crash again. "Ugh, your such a jerk, Crash!"

Diego approached her shyly, a smile appearing on his face the second he saw his two cubs. He slightly nuzzled up against Dakota to make sure she was alright.

"Diego. You look like a nervous wreck." Dakota chuckled

He sighed in relief and sat down, seeming to calm down a bit. Everyone else entered the cave to see the newborns. Their fur was a sandy color- maybe a little lighter than Diego's fur. One of them had crystal blue eyes and the other had green eyes.

"Oh, their simply adorable" Ellie cooed "What are you going to name them?"

"You should name one Mac" Eddie suggested

"And the other Cheese" Crash said "Mac and Cheese! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Dakota giggled "I don't think so."

"I was thinking something like… Oliver and Todd" Diego said quietly

Dakota looked at him and grinned. He purposely picked those names in remembrance of her father and brother. "I think those are perfect names" she looked at her cubs who were fast asleep "Oliver and Todd"


	19. Chapter 19

Authors note- Well obviously, I am fast forwarding a little bit because now Peaches, Oliver, and Todd can fully talk. I just wanted to point that out.

Dakota yawned from her peaceful sleep and reached out her paw to pull her cubs closer to her. But she soon realized she was just reaching at the air. Dakota looked around and figured they were with their father. She had a pretty laid back personality and it was hard for her to panic… usually.

* * *

"Any sign of them?" Diego asked

"Nope. There long gone." Sid said. Diego growled with frustration. Dakota would be walking up soon and he needed more time to find his cubs.

"Crash, Eddie" Diego called "I need you guys to stall Dakota"

"I don't know, Diego…" Eddie said coolly "When was the last time you did anything for us?"

"What do you want me to do? Beg?"

"It would help" Crash said

Diego heard Dakota call his name and he gulped. He slightly growled and managed to choke out an irritated 'Pleaseee'

"Good enough" Eddie said. He and his brother made his way over to her "Good morning!"

"Morning" Dakota said softly, walking right past them

The twin possums jumped in front of her, purposely blocking her path "Wait! I have to tell you a funny joke"

She slightly smiled "Okay. Make it quick"

"Why did the whale cross the rode?" Eddie asked

She rolled her eyes "I give up"

"To get to the other tide. Get it? Get it?" The two brothers started cracking up. They were obviously putting on an act.

"That's so funny I forgot to laugh" Dakota said, sarcastically. She tried to walk away but they jumped in front of her again. But this time, they stood in ninja positions.

"Stop! I know kung fu!" Crash threatened

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I think you guys are trying to stall me"

"Pshhh no"

"Okay good. Then let me by"

Crash noticed Diego in the background and gasped. He pretended to faint, hitting the ground with a tiny thud. Dakota turned around right on cue "Are you alright?"

"I can't see the light" Crash said weekly

"Let me go get help"

"No! That'll ruin everything!" he coughed "I mean… please don't leave me"

When Diego was out of the his sight, Crash sat up "Hey! Would you look at that! I'm alright"

The twins laughed nervously and ran off. Dakota shook her head in confusion. What were those two up to? She walked over to Ellie and Manny and greeted them with a simple 'good morning'.

"Where are Oliver and Todd?" Peaches asked "I wanna play with them"

"Their with Diego apparently. Speaking of Diego, has anyone seen him?"

"No, I haven't seen him all morning. Not to mention Sid too" Ellie said

Dakota saw Sid searching threw the forest, looking under rocks [idiot] and behind trees. When Sid met her gaze he gasped and waddled away as fast as his legs could go.

Dakota smirked "I'll be right back"

She followed Sid's sent and found him meeting up with Diego. Still no sight of her cubs which was not a good sign.

She crept up behind them "Well, Well, Well, Look who it is"

"Just keep walking" Sid whispered "Maybe she'll go away"

Diego ignored him and turned around. He smiled nervously "Hi…_honey_"

She narrowed her eyes "You lost them, didn't you?"

"Who exactly are you referring to?" Sid asked

"My cubs, Sid!"

"Oh themmm. Yeah, he lost them." Sid said, pointing to Diego. He glared at him and growled.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"We'll find them. They couldn't of gone far…" Diego assured her

"Hey sabers!" Buck called holding two tiger cubs "I think these belong to you"

"Where have you two been! Your parents have been worried sick about you!" Sid yelled

"Where did you find them?"

"They were down by the mountains" Buck said "These two rascals wandered off pretty far"

The twin cubs turned to their mother and father "We're sorry. We didn't mean to run off…"

Dakota opened her mouth to scold them but something stopped her. She was just like them as a cub. Full of mischief and curiosity… and that should not lead to punishment.

She smiled warmly "It's alright. Now run along."

They nodded and quickly nuzzled up against her. They ran over to play with peaches in the open valley. Dakota was very pleased at how well they got along with Peaches. After all, sabers are meant to hunt mammoths. And yet, Oliver and Todd treated her like one of them. Treated her like a best friend.

Diego didn't dare criticize her easy going parenting. He was too worried about how much trouble he was in. He shyly sat next to Dakota and frowned "Sorry I lost them. I turn my back for one second and they disappear"

"I understand." she chuckled "You are new at all of this. Besides, if we don't give them a little freedom once in a while then… the more there going to want to be away from us. Trust me, I know how they feel"

Diego was quite for a moment. He could remember his parents wanting nothing to do with him as a cub. Their childhoods were quite different. Dakota wanted less love and… Diego wanted more. "I think you make a great mother. Better than mine _ever was."_

_She looked up at him, guessing he had a ruff family "And you make a great father… minus the fact you almost lost them"_

_The two sabers smiled at each other, happier than ever. I guess the saying 'opposites attract' is true because Diego and Dakota were defiantly not similar, and yet they were absolutely crazy for each other. _


	20. Chapter 20

Authors note- So, chapter 19 was supposed to be a last chapter. But no worries, I have a few more ideas up my sleeve. This chapter isn't very realistic. I have no idea how far apart earthquakes can be… oops I just gave it away. Just note that the valley is extremely huge. So the dinosaur lands are only underneath part of the valley, not all of it. Just remember that. :D

Peaches was playing happily with her two best friends, Oliver and Todd. A butterfly landed on her trunk which made her smile warmly. Oliver and Todd, on the other hand, thought it would be more fun to try and catch them with their claws and teeth. Peaches rolled her eyes and gently placed the butterfly on Todd's nose. He giggled and smiled.

"Oliver! Todd!" Dakota called "Were going to the lake to fish. Want to come?"

"You bet!" Oliver called "Bye Peaches"

"Yeah bye Peaches" Todd copied. Typical brothers.

It was a little bit of a hike to get there so fist things first, the cubs ran over to the water to fetch a drink. Diego did the same and smiled coolly. He splashed them and quickly looked away as if he was innocent. They flashed him a playful smile, filling their mouths with water until their cheeks were fully extended. Diego laughed and ran away, his cubs following. They finally caught up to him and pinned him to the ground, squirting water all over his face.

Dakota whistled to get their attention and all three of them looked up. She winked at them and jumped into the water making a big splash. The twins giggled and followed her example. Dakota came out first with a nice sized fish in her mouth which she shared with Diego. Todd came out next caring a smaller fish but it was perfect size for him. Oliver came out last with an enormous fish. It was so big, he had to drag it by its tail.

On the way home they came across a meadow full of dandelions. Oliver and Todd looked at each other and ran into the meadow with no hesitation. Diego's nose tickled as he and Dakota walked along the sidelines. He sneezed and Dakota slightly nuzzled up against him for comfort.

"Mother? Did you ever met a dinosaur?" Oliver asked

Dakota pulled her ears back "Sorta"

"Really? I hear their like 10 times bigger than mammoths. Their screech can be heard a mile away and they only eat meat" Todd explained

"Who told you all of this?" Diego asked

"Uncle Buck" Oliver said happily "He told us bunches of stories about the dinosaur lands"

"Can we go there one day?" Todd asked

Dakota faked a chuckle "Most certainly not"

"Why not?" Todd asked

"Because it's too dangerous. Especially, for young cubs like you"

"Oh yeah. Dinosaurs love to chew on cubs because the meat is so _fresh_" Diego teased

"_Diego!" _

_He smiled nervously "Kidding. Kidding. Besides, they won't have to worry about that because their never going to go near that cave" He gave Oliver and Todd a stern look "Right?_

"_They nodded "Right"_

_* * * _

_Later that day, when everything seemed to be perfect, the ground began to shake… again. _

_I bet your probably all thinking it's another dinosaur. Well, your not even close. The ground began to split in two- yup, you guessed it, earthquake. _

"_EARTHQUAKE!" Sid yelled_

_Ellie tired to grab Peaches with her trunk but it was no use, the earth was already separated. It was so far apart that not even Diego or Dakota could jump it. _

"_Mother?" Peaches called. Oliver and Todd were on the other side too as well as Buck._

"_This is a disaster!" Ellie said_

"_Calm down, their with Buck" Diego said_

"_This is a disaster!" She repeated_

"_Looks like we got ourselves a little situation" Buck yelled, as if it were no big deal "No worries, we'll just have to find some way across. You go South. We'll go North" _

_Manny glanced at Peaches and then glanced at Ellie. They both looked like a nervous wreck "It's okay, Peaches. Go with Buck, he'll take care of you" Manny assured her_

"_Oliver, Todd, that goes for you too" Dakota called_

_Oliver and Todd looked at each other and grinned. To them, this was all fun and games. No parents? This was heaven for the two twins. Although Peaches was very concerned. She did not like being away from her parents. _

_Manny and the others hesitated at first but then forced themselves to go South. If there was any hope of getting across, they would have to get moving. Peaches stood their until they were out of sight. _

"_Peaches! Come on!" Todd called. She shook her head out of her daze and ran over to catch up with them. To be honest, Peaches was not so sure Buck was parenting material. Let alone, babysitting material. _

_Oliver growled playfully at his brother and pounced onto him, causing the two twins to tumbled over each other. _

_Buck huffed and picked the up "Let's have none of that. When your with me, there is only one rule: Always listen to Buck" _

_They nodded slowly and he placed them down gently. Oliver attempted to pounce onto Todd again but Peaches came in between them, blocking them from any physical violence. _

"_Guys. Cut it out" She ordered. _

_They both let out a low growl but got over it in seconds._


	21. Chapter 21

Authors note- Chapter 21! Wow I can't believe I wrote so many chapters. When I first started writing this story, I only expected to write like 15. And for those of you who read and reviewed my story so far, thank you so much! You guys are awesome :D

Manny and the others soon reached a dead end. They looked up at the mountain that kissed the sky.

Ellie sighed "This is hopeless"

How will they ever get across? Manny even considered knocking down a pine tree and using it as a bridge. He shook his head, having second thoughts. No way he was putting anyone in any possible danger. Besides, The tree would most likely snap…

Dakota backed up until she was just about the right distance away. The group looked at her and wondered what she was up to. She took a deep breath and tightened her eyes. Diego slightly gasped as he realized her plan. She was going to try and jump it! As Dakota began to run, Diego obviously stopped her.

"Your not going to make it" He said, stating the honest truth

She looked over his shoulder, studying the earthquakes damage. She hated to admit it but he was right. The jump she and Diego made at the rhino incident was nothing compared to this.

She let out a little cry "I know… I just thought I'd give it a shot"

* * *

"Here we are!" Buck announced. They came along a big pile of boulders which seemed to be blocking something. Oliver and Todd knew exactly where they were. The dinosaur lands. Peaches, on the other hand, was a little confused.

"Were are we?" She asked

"You'll see" Buck said mysteriously. He climbed to the top and pushed a loose boulder with all his might, causing it to roll down the pile. There was now a small opening at the top, big enough for even Peaches to fit.

The three of them stared at Buck, unsure of what awaits them.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Start climbing!" He ordered

"Mother told us to never go in there" Todd said

"Hey! What did I tell you was the number one rule?"

"But-"

"What did I tell you?!"

Todd sighed with frustration "Always listen to Buck"

"Precisely. And Buck says: enter the dark, scary cave" He said with a smile. Oliver, Todd, and Peaches were fully convinced. He really is crazy.

The twin cubs shrugged. They figured if they get in trouble, blame Buck. Peaches hesitated. Ellie strictly told her the dinosaur lands were prohibited. And how was this going to help the situation? They were trying to get across not get eaten by dinosaurs.

"Buck?" Peaches called quietly "Are you sure we'll be safe?" "Aye! Just stick with me kid and you'll be fine"

She sighed and slowly made her way up the rocks. She hated the idea of disobeying her mother but did she really have a choice?

Just like their parents, they entered an all new world to them. Dinosaurs were everywhere you looked!

"We are so grounded" Peaches mumbled

Buck sighed and smiled happily "Home sweet home"

* * *

Manny looked at the sunset. Purple and pink colors filled they sky which looked simply amazing. However, night fall would come soon and traveling in the dark was not such a good idea.

"I think it's best if we rest for the night. We'll have no progress in the dark and lets face it, were all exhausted." Everyone nodded and got settled.

Dakota had no chance of sleeping. She was too worried. She sat right at the edge, staring at the separated ground.

"You should really try and get some sleep" Diego suggested, talking a seat next to her.

"I'm not the only one who can't fall asleep" She looked over her shoulder to see Ellie wide awake. She could slightly hear Manny's comforting voice, telling Ellie 'everything will be alright'.

"I bet I could of made that jump" She said quietly

"You probably could. But… I'm not letting you risk it." Diego said

She sighed "I wonder what Oliver and Todd are doing now…"

"Sleeping" Diego answered

"Doubt it." She chuckled to herself "No parents means no bed time"

Sid approached the two sabers and sat in between them "So are you worried, Dakota? Because you look awful"

"Sid" Diego growled, warning him to back off

"Heck I would be nervous too. I mean, Buck is crazy! He could, oh I don't know, let them get eaten by bears or drop them in a pit of lava…"

Diego roared "Get lost sloth!"

"Okay, okay" Sid rolled his eyes and slowly walked back over to the others, not at all threatened by his saber friend.

"One of these days I am seriously going to kill him" Diego mumbled

Dakota chuckled and said sarcastically "Yeah right"


	22. Chapter 22

"So Uncle Buck, why exactly are we here again?" Peaches asked politely

"There is another exit somewhere around here…" He scratched his head, not fully sure of where their destination is "No worries, I'll find it. Anyway, once we reach the exit, that's our ticket to the other side of the valley. We will met up with your parents later" Buck explained. After a night of restless sleeping, he was still a little tired. As a matter of fact, they were all a little tired. How do you expect three younglings to fall asleep in a prehistoric world of dinosaurs?

"How many times have you been here?" Peaches asked

"How many times?! I used to live here! I know this place like the back of my paw"

"You think we'll run into any dinosaurs?" Oliver asked anxiously

"Most likely" Buck said. Peaches gulped at the sound of that. She was defiantly not a fan of dinosaurs… at least not yet

They walked a little further until Buck stopped them. "Time for a pit stop. Um, talk amongst yourselves for a moment or so" And with that, he raced into the bushes.

"Hey, I have an idea! Let's play hide and seek" Todd suggested

"Yeah!" Oliver agreed

"Guys, can't you just sit still for one minute?" Peaches said

"Aw, Come on Peaches. Have some fun!"

"Well… okay" She agreed

"Todd and I will hide and you count" Oliver said

Peaches nodded and began to count. Todd and Oliver giggled as they searched for hiding spots. After she was done counting, she started off by calling their names. Obviously they did not reply. "Oliver! Todd! Come out, come out wherever you are"

She stopped short when she came upon a bush full of red flowers. Something ruffled from inside and she smirked. It had to be one of the twins! She stuck her head into the bush, expecting to find one of her saber friends. But, out of no where, popped a baby dinosaur right before her very eyes. She screamed and tumbled backwards.

"Peaches? What's wrong?" Todd asked, coming out of hiding, his brother right behind him

"Something's in that bush!" she yelled, hiding behind them for protection.

After finishing his… business, Buck came running to the rescue "Easy does it Peaches" Buck said. He stuck his head into the bush to see what all of the fuss was about. He smiled when he realized it was only a harmless baby dinosaur. Actually, it was the same one Sid had raised.

Buck managed to get the dinosaur out of the bush and into the sunlight. Todd and Oliver gasped as they saw it for the first time. "Wow!"

"I wonder where the others are…" Buck said to himself

"You mean there's more?!" Todd asked

"Aye. Only three younglings. And the momma dinosaur of course"

The baby dinosaur sniffed the cubs and they giggled. It moved closer to Peaches which made her very nervous.

"It's not going to hurt you" Buck said "They pretty friendly at their stage. It's the adult dinosaurs you have to worry about"

Peaches hesitated at first then carefully pet it with her trunk. The baby dinosaur screeched with joy. "Aw! It's so cute!"

"Alright, lets get a move on!" Buck began to walk away when he realized no one was following him

"Well? Lets go!"

"We can't just leave it here all alone. It must be lost." Oliver said

"We should return it to it's mother!" Todd said

"Oh no no no no no" Your mother is going to kill me as it is. And I'd much rather die from Dakota than momma dinosaur"

"But she's not going to hurt us if we help her. Besides, I thought you told us Momma dinosaur saved you from Rudy? It's the least you can do in return" Peaches said

After looking at all their puppy dog eyes, Buck finally cracked. He groaned "Fineee"

* * *

"It's official. There is absolutely no way across" Eddie groaned.

"Where the heck is Buck anyway?" Crash asked. The group was now North but there was no sign of Buck and the others.

"Where could he possibly bring Peaches and the cubs" Ellie asked herself

Diego eyes widened "Oh no…"

"What?"

"Think about it. The cubs have been dying to go to the dinosaur lands and knowing Buck, he's not going to complain. And of course Peaches is going to follow- she doesn't have a choice"

Dakota roared "Ugh! I'm going to kill that crazy weasel!"


	23. Chapter 23

Authors note- Wow these updates are coming much quicker now. I am pretty much obsessed with writing this story.

The only choice the heard had was to wait. Buck would have to show up sooner or later. Although, Ellie and Dakota were beginning to doubt ever seeing their kids again.

Diego looked at his mate who looked angry, nervous, concerned, and afraid all at the same time. He tried to think of something- anything to get her mind off you know who "You know, I never told you this but I would of loved to have a family like yours" he admitted, talking a seat next to her "My parents never cared for me… never loved me… and it hurt."

She sighed "We all want what we can't have" She smiled "Diego, I never knew you had all these feelings. You really are a sensitive guy"

"I am not! I just had a… moment of sensitivity"

She shook her head "Underneath all that pride and seriousness, is a sensitive saber that I love"

He rolled his eyes, not at all wanting to admit it "Whatever floats your boat"

She giggled and nuzzled up against him

"Hey you two!" Sid yelled "Honeymoon's over!"

The two tigers instantly blushed.

"Sid! Mind your own business!" Diego snapped. Sid huffed and crossed his arms. Sometimes seeing his two best friends always together with their mates made him a little jealous. But all in all, he just learned accepted it.

* * *

"So where do you think it's mother is?" Todd asked

"My guess would be lava falls" Buck said

Peaches gulped "Lava falls?"

"Aye. It's like fire but hotter"

She rolled her eyes "I know what lava is…"

"If we hurry we should be able to get there by tonight… Actually, now that I think about it, the exit should be near the falls"

They must of walked for an hour or so until they ran into some… interference. Out of no where came an ankylosaurus dinosaur. He let out a sharp roar that sounded like nails on a chalk bored. Their first instinct was to run so that's exactly what they did. That is, until they came to a dead end.

"Please tell me you have a plan" Peaches said to Buck. He looked around for ideas but nothing popped into his head. They were trapped!

The baby dinosaur had a moment of bravery and stood up to the ankylosaurus. He let out a pathetic roar which made the ankylosaurus chuckle. The baby dinosaur pulled his eye brows together, rather annoyed of being laughed at.

He tried once more but this time his roar was load and powerful. But when he looked up, he realized it was his mother. The ankylosaurus took one look at momma dinosaur and took off running.

The baby dinosaur smiled and embraced with his mother. Two more babies appeared as well and they were delighted to see their sibling in one piece. Momma dinosaur turned to Buck and the others. She studied them for a long moment. Remembering Buck from their last encounter, she knew they were no harm.

"Maybe we should try talking to her" Todd suggested. He run up to her showing no fear whatsoever. I guess we know where he gets his bravery from. "Can you take us to Lava Falls?" he asked, pointing to the right direction. "Were tired of walking and a ride would be much appreciated"

Momma dinosaur nodded and bowed her head to their level, suggesting for them to climb aboard. Todd and Oliver where the first to climb on with Buck following.

"Why Hello old girl. I haven't seen you in ages" Buck said, patting her head gently

Peaches just stood there. No way was she riding on that thing.

"Peaches! Come on! We don't have to walk anymore!" Oliver called

"I can't! I'm afraid" She cried. The baby dinosaur nudged her forward. She sighed and forced herself onto the prehistoric dinosaur. Peaches closed her eyes, planning to keep them closed for the whole ride.

"Open your eyes!" Buck said "You have to look at this!"

She slowly opened her eyes and gasped. She was so high she could see the whole entire valley! "This is amazing!" She looked down to see the baby dinosaurs following close behind. She never expected dinosaurs to be this friendly much less to be riding one!

They reached lava falls in no time. The sun was just about setting so they made it just before dark. Momma dinosaur let them down carefully.

"Thanks for the ride, mate" Buck said

She smiled and nodded. As the dinosaurs started to walk away, one of them stopped short and waved goodbye. Peaches smiled and watched them till they were out of sight.

Buck looked around and spotted the exit. He smiled at a job well done, quite proud of himself. "As much as I love being here, it's time to go home."


	24. Chapter 24

Authors note- Wow I changed the title again. Sorry but I think this time it perfectly fits my story all in all. When you read the final chapter (which is not this one) you will see why. So my new avatar is Dakota. As you can see I am pretty excited about it (Haha). I think she came out pretty good minus the long tail. She looks more like a lion than a tiger but whatever :D

Buck guided them threw the small cave. It was big enough for them to fit yet small enough for no dinosaurs to enter "Watch your step" They soon entered the sunlight and took a breath of fresh air. Buck ran over to the earthquake damages and grinned. "We did it! Where on the other side!"

Meanwhile…

Dakota's ears perked up "Did you hear that?""Hear what?" Manny asked

She didn't reply and took off running. The group looked at one another and quickly began to follow.

"Todd? Oliver?" Dakota called

"Mother!" The twins yelled, jumping onto her. She giggled "Oh I'm so happy to see you!"

The rest of the group soon caught up, a smile appearing instantly on each of their faces.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Peaches yelled, happily embracing with her parents.

Oliver ran over to Diego and smiled at him. He loved his father more than anything. He looked up to him and their relationship was quite strong.

"Hey, squirt" He said

"Guess what?" He whispered "Buck took us to the dinosaur lands and I got to ride a real live dinosaur"

Diego raised a single brow "You did?"

He nodded and whispered "Don't tell" And with that, the mysterious little cub flashed him a crooked smile and ran back over to the others. Even though they are twins, Oliver and Todd had quite different personalities. Oliver is more gentle than his brother. Unlike Todd, he knows how to keep a secret… _most of the time_. Now Todd, on the other hand, tends to be aggressive. And he defiantly has a big mouth- Just like his mother.

Buck tried to sneak away when Ellie stopped him "Hold it!"He turned around and smiled nervously "Long time no see! No need to thank me! I know, I know, I'm an excellent babysitter"

"Buck!? Where did you take them!?" Manny asked, demanding to know the answer. He glanced at the cave they came out of "Where does that cave lead to?"

"Ummmmm" Buck tried to think of a quick lie but he couldn't come up with anything "I dunno"

"You brought them to the dinosaur lands, didn't you?" Ellie said, narrowing her eyes

"In my defense, It was the only way across" Buck said

Ellie opened her mouth to scold him but Dakota butted in "The important thing is no one got hurt" Ellie looked at her for a moment, not a fan of her easy going parenting. But she sighed and decided to agree with her.

"I suppose… Dakota is right. I'm just glad you're all safe" "So how was it? Did you see momma dinosaur?" Eddie asked

"See her? Ha! We rode her!" Todd shouted

"Whoa seriously?! Aw, we should have done that!" Crash frowned

"Todd, Buck told us not to tell anyone" Oliver whispered

Ellie and Manny looked at Buck and he smiled nervously again "Kids these days… they say the silliest things"

"Keep going" Dakota insisted "I wanna hear the whole story. You won't get in trouble. I promise. What's done is done."

The twin cubs smiled and began to tell the whole story from beginning to end. Although, at some parts, they over exaggerated a tad. When they finally finished, everyone was speechless.

"Peaches? Did you seriously ride momma dinosaur?" Ellie asked

"Yup. And I wasn't afraid one bit" Todd coughed and said sarcastically "Yeah right"

"Okay I was a little nervous- but give me a break, it was my first time in a prehistoric world"

* * *

Later that night, when Peaches and the cubs were fast asleep…

"I have to confess Buck, I am pretty impressed that you lasted more than a minute with three kids" Manny teased

"Especially Oliver and Todd… those two tend to be a handful" Dakota added

"What did you expect? Did you think I would let them get eaten by bears or drop them in a pit of lava?"

Dakota looked at Sid and he smirked.

"No… but thanks for giving us that visual" Ellie said

"Who would you feel more comfortable with, Manny? Me or Buck babysitting?" Sid asked

He pretended to think about it for a second or two "Buck"

"What? Why?"

"Because a few days ago, I left you alone with Peaches for one minute and when I came back _she was covered in mud_"

"Hey! She wanted to have a mud fight""No… She wanted to have a _snow ball _fight" Manny corrected him

"Oh yeah…" Sid mumbled "My bad" He turned to Buck and looked at him in a serious way "How are my kids? Did they get big?""Aye. I'd say they grew a bit. Still very friendly which is rare." He chuckled to himself "Oliver and Todd went crazy when they saw a dinosaur in the flesh. Peaches was afraid at first. I noticed she is very skittish without her parents. But all in all, we made it through."


	25. Chapter 25

Authors note- *cries* This is officially the last chapter. *cries again* I think this is my favorite chapter because it pretty much sums up everything. Sometimes letting go is harder than you think. (This chapter takes place a few years later) By the way, check out my newest story if you want to. Yes, it includes Ice Age. Actually, it's a crossover between Ice Age and The Lion King. So, please read it, your reviews are always appreciated.

I guess you could say a lot of things have changed these past few years. Little Peaches is all grown up. She had moved on in life, leaving her heard for another. Yup you guessed it. She found a perfectly good mate and it was her time to go. It was not easy to say goodbye for Manny and Ellie. You could tell by the look in their eyes. The sadness. The sorrow. But they didn't expect her to stay with them forever. They had to learn to let go.

Dakota looks at her cubs now, and she realizes their no longer cubs. Fully grown, strong, and confident. She knew their separation was soon to come. It seems like just yesterday she was teaching them to hunt.

*FLASHBACK*

"Okay, boys. The most important thing there is when it comes to hunting is patience." Dakota explained. Oliver and Todd had their eyes locked on a rabbit a couple yards away "When your ready to make your attack always remember-"

Todd roared which made the rabbit perk up. It took off running with Todd right on his tail.

"-to keep quiet" she finished her sentence, narrowing her eyes

Todd trotted back over to them with the dead rabbit in his mouth. He had a rather proud smirk on his face which made Oliver huff.

"What a showoff…" Oliver sighed "Who am I kidding? Todd really is a better hunter than I am"

"Nonsense. You just need more practice." She quickly scanned the open field and spotted Sid.

"Dakota? Oliver? Todd? Where are you guys?" He called

Dakota smirked "Alright. Here is your moment of glory. Your target: Sid"

Oliver giggled and nodded. He crouched low to the ground, following her orders. Without making a sound, he began running towards his pray. Dakota grinned as he pounced onto Sid, pinning him to the ground.

"Spare me!" Sid pleaded. But when he opened his eyes, he realized it was just Oliver. He faked a chuckle "I thought you were really going to eat me for a second"

Oliver smirked "I don't eat junk food" _Like father like son_

_*FLASHBACK END*_

_Oliver and Todd were hunting together when a strange sent filled their noses. They looked around and saw two female sabers- probably sisters. They were sharpening their claws on a tree. That is, until they realized they were being watched. At first, they looked at them with great caution. But as the silent seconds pasted, they managed to greet them with a friendly "Hello"_

_* * *_

_Dakota was sunbathing with Diego close next to her. It was late in the day and the sun was extremely warm._

"_Whatcha doing?" Oliver asked_

"_Sunbathing" She replied, her eyes still closed_

"_Oh. Having fun?"_

"_Yup"_

"_Oh. How much fun?"_

_She opened her eyes and sighed "Alright. You have my attention. What's up?"_

"_We have a serious question to ask you guys"_

_Diego and Dakota looked at each other confused at first. But then they noticed the female sabers in the background and they knew where this was going._

"_They have a pack settled not far away and they offered for us to go with them" Todd explained _

"_If you let us go, we promise to visit" Oliver said, trying to sweeten up the deal_

_Dakota frowned at first, trying to hold back the tears. Crying was not in her vocabulary. She forced a smiled and spoke slowly "I want you to be happy. If you want to go with them… I'm not going to stop you"_

_Diego looked at her in shock for a moment. She was just going to give them up? But then he remembered her situation. Oliver and Todd wanted the same thing Dakota wanted: Independence and freedom. He knew she was doing the right thing and he nodded in agreement._

_The sabers smiled and began to walk away. But they forgot to do one last thing. Oliver and Todd embraced with their mother one last time. "Take care of yourselves" Dakota said. They grinned and nodded_

_Oliver turned to Diego "Make sure she stays out of trouble"_

"_Dakota staying out of trouble? Yeah right" Diego teased_

_She smirked. No matter how many years pass, Dakota will always be Dakota._

_And with that, they left. They approached the females, smiles appearing instantly on their faces. Dakota watched them until they were out of sight. She watched them until they were completely gone. _

_* * *_

_Later that night, Diego could hear his mate quietly sobbing to herself. It took Dakota a second or two to even realize he was next to her. She quickly stopped crying and looked away._

"_I'm not crying." She mumbled "I just have… allergies. I think I'm allergic to Sid"_

"_You miss them" Diego stated the obvious _

"_No. I should be happy they left. Did you see how trilled they looked? Just give them a few females and their hypnotized"_

_He chuckled "You should be proud. If I do say so myself, you raised them very well"_

"_We raised them very well" she corrected him "I just… feel so alone now"_

"_You are not alone. You have me… and I will always be by your side."_

_She grinned and licked him on the cheek "You always know how to make me feel better you big softy"_

"_I'm only a softy around you. I think it's some kind of female hypnosis." He looked around to make sure no one was listening "Just don't tell anyone"_

"_Your secrets safe with me, Diego"_

_Dakota nuzzled up against him, taking in as much comfort as possible. As much as she hated to admit it, her job was done. She and Diego successfully raised Oliver and Todd from cubs into independent adults. It was hard to say goodbye. They didn't expect it to be easy. But they had to learn to accept it. They had to learn to let go._


End file.
